Review: Featuring 22 full-length cuts plus a 42-minute mixed version, there's no faulting the VFM on offer from this Jim Sharp-helmed Bomb Strikes comp. Featuring tracks and mixes from the likes of The Allergies, The Nextmen, Ugly Duckling, Alice Russell, Lack Of Afro and Sam Krats, the emphasis here is on the kind of dusty funk/soul grooves that sit well alongside hip-hop and breaks - as opposed to the stack-heeled, silver-jumpsuited kind that goes better with disco - with standouts for this writer including Sly5thAve's moody, cinematic 'Shiznit' (think Shaft staring broodily out of a rain-streaked diner window) and Skill's 'Break It Down', a stuttery, stop-start gift for the jazz-dancers.
Review: Bristol's The Allergies (aka Moneyshot and Rackabeat) blew people's minds with their debut LP, As We Do Our Thing and now they are back with follow up, Push On. We're used to the pair effortlessly fusing funk, Northern soul and big beats but this time round they've expanded their horizons to also feature hip-hop, with UK MC veteran, Dr Syntax (The Mouse Outfit, Foreign Beggars) joining the fray. Some of the many highlights include the retro soul stomp of "Entitled To That", the Fatboy-goes-back-to-sixties Southern soul of "Since You've Been Gone" and the clavinet-driven funk of "Get Down On You".
Review: Having previously guested on the mic for the likes of Dominik Eulberg and label boss Oliver Koletzki, Fran lets rip with her own solo album. With every flavour of the pop and electronic rainbow, it's a hard piece of work to pin down. One moment we're rocking to a fiddle-flicked country stomp ("Down"), the next we're jiving to a classic Kelis riff ("JayJay"), the next we're swept away in an emotional rush a la Kate Bush (the wonderfully titled "Cheesecake Mountain"). One thing that keeps the myriad styles in check is Fran's powerful vocal delivery. Think Annie, think a slightly diluted Bjork, think 'a jolly worthwhile album experience'.
Review: Despite his classical training, composer-turned-producer Al Sunny is more interested in classic soul, West Coast rock and the sun-kissed fusion work of 1970s Brazilian artists. Time To Decide is his debut album, and it's really rather good. Sunny is a talented songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist capable of creating perfectly produced songs that bristle with warm, sun-kissed nostalgia. Highlights include the Steely Dan-esque vibes of "Beautiful Lady", the dancefloor-friendly jazz-funk headiness of "Don't Let Nobody Know" and "Open Up Your Eyes", and the brilliant "Since I've Been Loving You", which sounds like a tooled-up take on Beatles circa "Got To Get You Into My Life". Sunny's cover of Ned Doheny's "Give it Up For Love" is also something of a treat.
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