Alice Russell At Juno Download

Review: Veteran modern soul, jazz and funk peddlers, Tru Thoughts, have done it again with this new release from their in-house iron-lunged warbler, Alice Russell. Teeming with soul and exploding with passion, "Heartbreaker" sounds like some raw funk act's live cover of a lost Mary J. Blige jam. This results in the tune sounding like both a whiskey-weathered old classic and a shiny modern cut, pretty much the label's raison d'etre. FaltyDL converts it into understated glacial garage, Yakine go for brittle, almost broken, beat soul and there's even an acoustic live version if you just want the meat and potatoes!

Review: Following collaborations with Quantic and a selection of teaser singles, Tru Thoughts' resident belter finally drops her long awaited solo LP. Alongside the previously released "Heartbreaker" and 'Twin Peaks", we get a further 12 slices of her whiskey-weathered modern soul. Highlights include the call & response of "A-Z", the staccato-hop of "For A While" and the melancholic title track, "To Dust".

Review: A sight to cheer for any regular Tru Thoughts follower - a brand new collaboration between veteran producer Will "Quantic" Holland (now bearded and looking very much like a muso version of Eric Cantona) and regular chanteuse Alice Russell. Unlike many of their previous combined outings, Look Around The Corner largely eschews hard-boiled funk and heavy soul in favour of a looser, folksier, more organic sound clearly inspired by Rotary Connection (and in particular the production of Charles Stepney). With Quantic's Cuban backing band, Combo Barbaro, offering solid backing, and Holland himself in the control room, it's an expansive, adventurous and finely crafted album that boasts far more hits than misses.

Review: Tru Thoughts really go to town here on this collection of remixes and alternate versions of long term collaborators Quantic and Alice Russel's "Magdalena", a highlight of their recent album Look Around The Corner. Featuring extended and acoustic takes on the track, it comes backed with a remix from Tru Thoughts stalwart Hint along with a jazzy pop version of "Look Around The Corner" from Anchorsong and an expansive house version from Gospel. Excellent stuff all round.

Review: Taken from the forthcoming album of the same name, Quantic (aka Will Holland), singer and long-term collaborator Alice Russell and Colombian ensemble Combo Barbaro release this elegant taster of sounds to come. A stunning fusion of Charles Stepney's expansive jazz arrangements for Rotary Connection with warm Latin rhythms, it's a simply stunning song even without Russell's gloriously commanding and closely-mic'd vocal. Let's hope the album lives up to this extremely promising first taste.