Review: An ambitious collection here in which First Word boss Aly Gillani AKA DJ Gilla pays homage to some of the music that's most inspired him over the past several decades' DJing, while also charting the development of British soul music over that same period. What we end up with are 12 tracks, all created in the UK, that span street soul, 80s boogie, R&B/neo-soul and lover's rock, some of them coming from older, well-known artists like Dazzle (the UK duo, not to be confused with the Patrick Adams/Leroy Burgess studio project of the same name) and Omar, and others from more up-and-coming names from the current generation. Smooth like silk from start to finish, it's an enjoyable listen, with highlights including Children Of Zeus's reggae-tinged 'Hard Work' and the delicate Janet-isms of Eliza's 'Livid'.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.