New releases last four weeks: Soul

Review: A year after dropping his acclaimed album 'Billy Valentine And The Universal Truth' with Flying Dutchman and Acid Jazz Records, Billy unveils a fresh take on a soul classic. Recorded at LA's prestigious Henson Recording Studio, alongside producer Bob Thiele Jr. and a stellar band including Larry Goldings, Pino Paladino, Jeff Parker, James Gadson, and John Philip Shenale, he introduces three new tracks. His rendition of Gil Scott-Heron's 'Lady Day & John Coltrane', debuted on Gilles Peterson's BBC6Music, mesmerising live audiences. This special edition 7" includes a unique edit of 'Home Is Where The Hatred Is', not previously available on vinyl.

Review: Due to persistent demand and soaring prices for the original pressing, this reissue of 'Why Don't You Go Home' on striking red transparent vinyl could not be more essential. Featuring the dynamic vocals of Diane Ward, the title track delivers a powerhouse performance echoing the King and Federal r&b sound. On the flip side, 'Cocktail De Medianoche' serves up a delightful blend of Boogaloo and Northern Soul, a cherished favourite among aficionados of Latin grooves and Uptempo Soul. With two phenomenal tracks, this reissue promises a perfect double-sider experience! for lovers of soul.

Review: Nick and Astro, known collectively as Potatohead People, join forces once again on a tantalising teaser 7" from their upcoming album, Eat Your Heart Out'. Featured on 'Paradise' is the highly hyped Canadian artist Diamond Cafe, whose velvety vocals grace this early 80s-inspired blend of digital sex funk that will remind you of Sade, El Debarge, and Prefab Sprout. Describing his music as "bathing in a cloud of honey on a very foggy night," Diamond Cafe's performance is nothing short of magic here. On the flipside, Nick Wisdom puts his spin on the track, infusing it with dub elements and enhancing the bassline.

Review: Thee Heart Tones, Big Crown Records' newest addition, showcase their youthful exuberance and musical prowess on their debut single. Recorded at Diamond West Studio with producers Leon Michels and Tommy Brenneck, the band delivers a captivating performance on both tracks. 'Forever & Ever' is an infectious, feelgood anthem with lead singer Jazmine Alvarado's captivating vocals soaring over the band's lively groove. The song's catchy chorus is bound to linger in listeners' minds long after the music stops. On the B-side, their rendition of the classic 'Sabor A Mi' demonstrates their versatility and skill, with Jazmine's vocals shining once again. Thee Heart Tones have made a promising entrance into the music scene, leaving audiences eagerly anticipating their forthcoming debut album.

Review: X-Ray Ted's 'Talkin' EP' finally hits vinyl, a format perfectly suited for its timeless classic vibe. On the A-side, 'Talkin' weaves strings, horns, and guitar riffs over rolling beats and bass, topped with soulful vocals. On the flip, 'So Much' exudes infectious energy, blending vocal refrains, guitars, and horns for a soulful groove. These tracks offer a glimpse into X-Ray Ted's upcoming debut album, showcasing his talent for blending old-school sounds with a modern twist. Limited to a run of 7"s on Bombstrikes, these vinyl grooves exude sunshine vibes and feel-good warmth, destined to fly off shelves.

Review: An iconic soundtrack to a classic blaxploitation flick, JJ Johnson and Martha Reeves & The Sweet Things turned a collective head when they simultaneously composed their core themes for Willie Dynamite, directed by obscure director Gilbert Moses. This ineluctable screen treat stars Roscoe Orman and Diana Sands in a quintessential portrayal of early '70s New York pimping, with the central character's foibles giving rise to a latent conscience when he comes into contact with a young social worker. As is often the case with the blaxploitation genre, Willie Dynamite begins with the lead character cruising down the streets of New York in some kind of fancy car, and 'tracked by the central theme: the theme of Reeves' 'Willie D' is clear as day, lyrically portraying D's hustle as 'magic', "never treating two girls the same", "it's no different from any other industry". 'Keep On Movin' On' contrasts this with a note of modesty, signaling the movie's inevitable tonal shift; nor should you miss the B-side instrumentals 'Willie Chase' and 'Parade Strut'.

Review: Brazilian artist Lucas Arruda, is fast becoming a regarded figure in the Latin scene. 'Ominira' is his latest long player that once again, finds a home on the French label Favorite Recordings. An album full of rich sounding musical textures that cross boundaries and bridge many genres such as Latin, soul, house, jazz and pop. The vibrant summer jams 'The Bravest Heart' and 'Novos Planos' are A-side standouts that will surely excite veteran and new listeners alike, who are into World music. '4:28' and 'The Mountain' start the second side with some catchy instrumentals that give off memorable beachy 70s vibes. ' Projecoes' closes the album with one of the most soulful performances of the album. All and all, you have a wonderful sounding jazzy grooved piece that ups the expectation of what a Latin jazz album can be. Cafe Del Mar approved!

Review: Italian dance producer Gianni Bini debuts on Groove Culture with the House Of Glass LP, topping up his impressive discography with a solo studio effort, and bolstering the already massive stock of production credits attached to his bulging, insatiable name. Though his various monikers over the years have indeed propelled him in a many-a-direction, Bini's latest here centres on epic disco, and rewinds the tape to an earlier sound first explored in his formative days as a producer; retroactively, we hear a livelier, more contemporary take on the stabbing strings, bristling bass and bubblegum beats - all live-recorded - that first put him on the map.

Review: Comb Edits is, at least in our world, officially the best thing to come out of Norwich since Colman's Mustard (or perhaps Justin Fashanu). The hush-hush project has been serving up occasional must-have re-edits for a while, with some of their earliest releases becoming in-demand items on the second-hand market. 'Por Amor', which opened the mystery editor's first EP in 2021, is probably the most sought-after scalpel job of the lot. It's a light-touch rework of a gorgeous slow-motion and sun-splashed Latin cover of a Bobby Caldwell classic - the kind of thing that disco, soul and Balearic heads will love. This reissue presents two new tweaks: a slightly shortened (but no less gorgeous 7"-mix), and a stripped-back, bass-heavy and delay-laden 'dub mix' that's especially essential. Don't sleep!

Review: UK Northern soul-food wholesalers Kent Dance are experts in procuring and supplying and continue to stick their necks out in this regard with a brand new reissue of The Soul Children's 'Standing In The Safety Zone', backed up by Sylvia And The Blue Jays' 'Put Me In The Mood' on the flip. The former track is an androgyne vocal soul, car-stereo'ed burst of joy, on which, despite the overarching feel of ecstasy, we hear duetting singers Anita Louis' and John Colbert's lyrics sing of remaining in one's comfort zone, which depending on the interpretation could either be heard as sardonic or earnest. Sylvia and co.'s B-side sounds as great as ever, being the breathy, flirtatious number it always was, yet with its best elements fleshed out ever-further by this 7" pressing.

Review: Candi Staton's self-titled album is quality listen that showcases Staton's remarkable vocal range and emotional depth across a diverse range of tracks. From soulful ballads to infectious disco grooves, each song is imbued with the singer's signature charisma and passion. Standout tracks like 'Darling You're All That I Need' truly stir the soul with the impassioned vocals and big horns next to some uplifting melodies and heartfelt messages of love and truth. With impeccable production and Staton's powerhouse vocals at the forefront, this album is as potent now as ever and reminds us of Candi Staton's status as something of a great of the last 50 years.

Review: Atlanta's GRC Records nurtured a thriving soul music scene, producing a wealth of unreleased gems now available through tape discoveries. This compilation Atlanta: Hotbed Of 70s Soul, showcases the exceptional artistry of Sam Dees, whose collaborations with Joe Hinton and Louvain Demps yield standout tracks. Louistine's original rendition of 'Con Me' and Wes Lewis's rendition of 'Paperman' exhibit the emotional spectrum of soul music, Dorothy Norwood, King Hannibal, and Jean Battle contribute notable performances, while the revelation of Dees' songwriting credits adds historical significance. Extensive sleeve notes and rare photos enhance the packaging of this essential compilation, capturing the vibrant soul music legacy of Atlanta.

Review: Measured Mile records puts two classy soul tracks onto the same 7". Originally released in 1974, Act 1 - 'It's The Same Old Story' is often looked over classic of the era. Act 1 hailed from Detroit and featured Raeford Gerald, Roger Terry, Reggie Ross and George Barker. The band had two minor hits but often people recall 'It's The Same Old Story' as their favorite of their only full album. Ivano Fossati's 'Night Of The Wolf' is found on the B-side. A jam song that verges slightly into Latin music, asks for quite a sum of money for its original copy. Both tracks add up to a real gem of a 7".

Review: Mukatsuku has got another little treasure on its hands here with a tune from MBE and UK Soul legend Omar. It dates back to 2004 and has never been on 7" before having become something of a classic after original release on 12". Dons like Gilles Peterson and IG Culture were early supporters of the driving, peak time broken beat sound and the tune was often a highpoint of Omar's live sets. It has never been released as an instrumental either - until now. Both tunes now together on one 45 make for an essential cop for soul fans and, as always, there is strictly no repress on this one so move fast.

Review: Say She She is the psychedelic soul group from Brooklyn that's exploded onto the scene since their debut in 2019. Receiving critical acclaim for their two albums to date, and the pleasure of touring Europe and North America, the Nile Rodgers-inspired female trio even got a video message of approval from the legend himself. Authentic and organic are two words that fit the classically trained troupe to a tea and, in the great soul tradition, covers are a necessity. Jim Spencer's 1979 attempt at foraying into disco 'Wrap Myself Up in Your Love' wasn't received amazingly at the time, but thanks to the adoration of archive label The Numero Group, the song has seen a resurgence in covers and fans. The original vocal is zany and expressive against some jangly funk guitars, whilst Say She She's rendition hones in on the sultry aspect of the track. Guitars are muted down to transform the song into a lovemaking slow jam, wind passages are introduced and the vocal is subtly powerful and sexy. This 7" contains both Spencer's original track and the interpretation by the trio, pressed on white vinyl.

Review: With members living between Denver, Colorado, the UK and Spain, the New Mastersounds are currently centred on the British city of Leeds, and bring their adept keyboard instrumental Hammond funk and r&b chops to us receptive fans in the form of a new ten-track back-to-school album, Old School. Composed in a short breath in a studio situated in the heart of the English Peak District during a rainy week in July 2023, all tracks here showcase the earthy essence of the band via their signature vocabulary of uncomplicated funk, soul-jazz, classic r&b and reggae-infused grooves.

Review: Broken beat hero Kaidi Tatham steps forth with the first in a series of all-star remix albums of the Reel People Music back catalogue. Over an impressive ten tracks, Tatham sashays between syrupy soul slo-jams, virtuosic broken beat trips, almost UK funky-esque live jams, and acoustic boom bap beats. Percies include the sweeter-than-molasses opening flip of Sebb Junior's 'All My Life', his sassy, stripped-back version of Daz-I-Kue and Hadiya George's 'Pedigree' and a dazzlingly technical re-run of the Monkey Brothers' 'Losin my Head.' With this anthology, Tatham proves that London's broken beat scene continues to flourish, and his boundary-hopping style is as relevant as ever.

Review: It has been a while since Umbo released any new music but now he is back on the Austrian label Resense with a superb pair of edits on this essential little 45 rpm. Kicking things off is 'Grits' which is a hard hitting bit of b-boy funk and breaks with old school soul vocals and plenty of horn stabs powering it ever onwards and upwards. '23h' is a little more seductive but no less busy with tightly woven bongos and congas peppering the high speed funk groove. Fantastic stuff that we hope is the start of much more to come from edit king Umbo.

Review: Maya Blandy's latest single, Lemons, is a vibrant and infectious track that seamlessly blends upbeat urban funk with an acid jazz sound, resulting in a potential pop hit. The song takes a spin on the classic adage about making the best out of life's challenges, presenting it with a fresh and edgy perspective. With its catchy hooks, groovy rhythm, and Maya Blandy's convincing vocals, Lemons is destined to be an instant hit once heard.
The Side-2 is equally as good with 'BIB (Bitch In Black).' This song oozes with soulful vibes, showcasing Maya's mesmerizing vocals against an urban beat backdrop. The addition of a horn section adds depth and richness to the track, elevating its sonic experience.

Review: Pratt & Moody's latest single, 'Creeping Around,' delves into the depths of dark soul with haunting melodies. The duo, comprising Pratt and Moody, showcases their collective prowess in crafting a narrative of infidelity that transcends boundaries. Pratt's velvety vocals intertwine seamlessly with Moody's evocative guitar, creating a timeless soundscape dripping with raw emotion. Supported by the masterful artistry of Cold Diamond & Mink, 'Creeping Around' transports listeners to a realm of late-night introspection, evoking the atmospheric ambiance of a David Lynch film. With its haunting melodies and immersive instrumentation, this track captivates with its exploration of longing, desire, and the complexities of human emotion.