This Week

Review: It has been a busy old decade and a half for A Strangely Isolated Place. Growing from impassioned blog to mix series, by 2012 the explorations into deep-deep electronic spaces had formed into a grand voyage into the unknown as a digital (and soon after vinyl) imprint launched. They've barely looked back since.

This, for example, is the label's third LP of 2021 (not bad when we're only in month five) and the second long form outing from Comit for this crew in 18 months, give or take. How marvellous, then, that like the entire back catalogue nothing here sounds rushed despite the obvious work rates involved. Instead, we've given an expertly crafted, valium-dosed electro breaks journey through interstellar downtempo trance plains. You can almost see the stars shining through the speakers.

Review: Al Kent's Million Dollar Disco is back in business with a surefooted single-sided press of a sumptuous piece of disco taxidermy. Taking the vocal from The Four Tops' 'Ask The Lonely' and some licks from 'It Seems To Hang On' by Ashford & Simpson, Kent has cooked up something achingly beautiful, for when you want the dancefloor to get all misty eyed. It's no accident that it's been mixed down at the legendary Green Door studio in Glasgow either - this sounds as warm and bubbling in your ears as any of the consistently great-sounding music that spills out of that spot.

Review: Khruangbin might be the most logical and fitting choice for a Late Night Tales compilation in recent memory. The Texan psychedelic chill artists have always had a sense of the exploratory and unknown running through their blissful grooves, and the fundamental idea behind this series was always about opening up doors to new musical discoveries for listeners.

In many ways, the Houston trio have gone above and beyond. Melding a breadth of sounds that have emerged from an equally diverse set of cultures, we visit Hindi-disco, South Korean rock, African bass, Belarusian folk. Capped off with an exclusive version of Kool & The Gang's 'Summer Madness' conceived by the compilers themselves, it's a case of 15 gateway tracks all of which belong to artists and genres that are crying out for you to dive in.

Review: Originally released in 1993, 'Award Tour' by A Tribe Called Quest was the first single from their third album Midnight Marauders, and featured Trugoy of De La Soul. It is their biggest single to date, ranking high in charts in America and overseas. The B side of the single is the original version of album cut 'The Chase, Pt. 2' which featured the first known appearance by future band member Consequence. A Tribe Called Quest was the most commercially successful act in the Native Tongues collective, with all six of its albums certified either gold or platinum.

Review: Cornish funkateer Daytoner rarely fails to deliver the goods, with his semi-regular seven-inch missives being amongst his most potent releases. He's at it again here, delierving two confirmed party-starting workouts that combine live funk and soul style instrumentation topped off with classic hip-hop acapellas. He begins with 'Life's a Bitch', where fast crew rap flows lifted from a much-loved hip-hop cut ride undulating bass guitar, laidback funk breaks and glistening guitars. He flips the script a little on flipside '(It Ain't) No Good', delivering hip-hop tempo beats, deep bass, luscious electric piano motifs and smart use of one of the most celebrated R&B vocals of the 1990s.

Review: DJ Format has long been a master of cut-and-paste production, most frequently crafting barnstorming funk and hip-hop fuelled club cuts made almost entirely out of samples lifted from dusty old records. He's applied the same techniques on Devil's Workshop, his new instrumental album, but this time he's opted for a stranger selection of source material and an undeniably cinematic feel. While calling it "DJ Shadow's Endtroducing for the 21st century" would be a bit of a stretch, the producer's combination of eccentric musical snippets (you'll find elements repurposed from folk, psychedelic, jazz, rock, spoken word, easy listening, Mod and weird soundtrack records), low-slung basslines and head-nodding hip-hop beats is certainly in the same sonic ballpark. As a result, it's Format's most detailed, considered and impressive work to date.

Review: Over his long and illustrious career, Dennis 'Dego' McFarlane has made music in many complimentary styles, but it's been broken beat with which he's been associated with for the least two decades. Alongside his friend and regular studio partner Kaidi Tatham, he's developed a particular strain of "bruk" that incorporates elements of jazz, electrofunk, soul, boogie, jazz-funk and, more occasionally, hip-hop. It's this fluid, attractive, synth-heavy sound that's at the heart of The Negative Positive, his first solo full-length for two years. It's as well-made, soulful, slick and musically rich as you'd expect, with a series of stellar vocal numbers joining a swathe of similarly impressive instrumentals.

Review: Black Hole's second release in the Sample Series finds Black Cash & Theo link up for a trio of heart breaking blue-eyed soul sounds, all served up as special remastered edits. 'I Ain't Got The Love' opens with the pained and yearning vocals over aching drum breaks with melancholic strings adding to the emotional turmoil. It's a beautiful tune where 'Ghettos Of The Mind' is a freaky interlude of looped vocals that are haunting and paranoid. 'Hurts So Bad' is a well loved soul gem that emerges on a rousing, heart bleeding vocal from slow, pensive moods to empowering highs and back again.

Review: Having recently made their debut via a fine lovers' rock cover of Eddie Kendricks classic 'Date With The Rain', East Coast Love Affair (AKA "the Athens of the North house band", according to member and label founder Euan Fryer) return with something rather different. 'Without You' is a deliciously dreamy, effortlessly soulful vocal deep house number that's as immersive, warm and comforting as a loved-up hug from that special person in your life. It sounds like it could have been made in NYC or NJ in the very late 1980s, but that's no bad thing. Over on the flip Fryer and his collaborators provide an authentic, boogie era-style extended remix of Mary Love Comer's 'Come Out of The Sandbox', giving it a reverential but far more DJ-friendly twist.

Review: The Reasonaires is a fantastic collection of soul talents who have been involved in some of the genre's greatest modern moments. They are Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley and, Lee Fields and now they enlist the powerful vocals of Saundra Williams to brand out on their now. Their fantastic debut single 'Standing With You' oozes a timeless soul sound that could be decades old as much as it is brand new. The vocals are buttery smooth but with real gravitas, and the rhythms are raw and rolling. The deep cut and passionate 'Don't Let It Bring You Down' on the flip is just as essential.

Review: Nick "Linkwood" Moore and Euan Fryer established East Coast Love Affair with the idea of making it the "Athens of the North house band". They've recently released a slew of singles, of which this sparkling, soulful cover version of Eddie Kendricks' favourite 'Date With The Rain', featuring the silky voice of lover's rock legend Peter Hunningale, is arguably the most revelatory. Rich in leisurely but ear-catching drum machine patters, warming bass and spakrling synth sounds, the duo's full vocal cover version sits somewhere between lover's rock, street soul and mid-80s electrofunk. Fittingly, it comes backed with 'Dub With The Rain', a delay-laden instrumental take that subtly showcases the depth and beauty of the pair's backing track while also adding a little extra low-end grunt. Simply sublime.

Review: Matasuna Records' reissue-focused releases tend towards the obscure, though their picks are always nigh on essential. Here they branch out from South American, Caribbean and African funk and soul to pay tribute to two hugely important American outfits of the sixties and seventies: The Meters and The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. You'll find the latter's sought after 1968 single 'Giggin' Down 103rd' - a fiery, horn-heavy chunk of righteous, club-ready funk - residing on the flipside, marking the first time it's been available since the band initially released it. The headline attraction though is undoubtedly the Meters' cover of Sly & The Family Stone's 'Sing a Simple Song', with the celebrated combo delivering a typically crunchy, organ-rich instrumental take full of punchy drum-breaks and heavyweight guitar licks.

Review: We might be heading though the dying says of 2020 but this year's Record Store Day keeps in kicking. This limited edition 12" is exactly what this vinyl celebration is all about - unusual releases. It has two unreleased Kenny Summit remixes of the huge Giorgio Moroder tune 'Right Here Right Now' featuring vocals from the untouchable global pop starlet that is Aussie fav Kylie Minogue. The first is all big drums, old school disco energy and camp as Christmas vocals with sleek production. If you want it a little more subtle, flip the yellow 12" over for the instrumental on the reverse.

Review: Although the Australian outfit Regime roots are in revivalist funk, 'Never Gonna Stop' sees them turn their hands to warm, loved-up and sun-kissed soul of the kind that was once all the rage in the mid 1970s. The grooves are toasty, the male and female lead vocals effortlessly soulful, and the instrumental touches - think languid jazz guitar solos, sweeping strings and lazy, trumpet-heavy horn arrangements - little less than superb. Flipside 'Deuzy Vibe', a P-funk flavoured, turn-of-the-80s boogie-soul style affair, is almost as good. There aren't that many of these -vinyl 45s around, so buy now to avoid disappointment.

Review: Despite selling out instantly on first press back in November 2018, it is only now that Nujabes' first solo album "Metaphorical Music" makes it to wax once more. This most spiritual of hip hop records - first released in 2003 - brings together downtempo, trip hop, instrumental, classic era boom bap, neo soul and funk into an accomplished collection of tunes that pack a dance floor as well as heartfelt punch. The album showcases some of the best music that the hip hop genre is capable of. Do not miss this, as it won't be around for long.

Review: In recent times we've been treated to plenty of reissues of classic lover's rock gems, including an Athens of the North-released collection of lover's rock covers. It's therefore rather exciting to hear some brand-new lover's rock in a similar vein from Crucial Rockers, a studio band formed by producer Jamie Searle. The track given the cover treatment is Womack & Womack classic "Teardrops". While that was fiendishly uptempo, this version is sweet, slow and effortlessly soulful, with Searle's warming riddim offering a perfect match for the un-credited vocalist's fine delivery of the Womacks' weary and emotional lyrics. The flipside dub is rather tasty, too. Sadly there aren't many of these around, so act fast if you want to secure a copy!

Review: Now this is a benchmark for proper low slung funk. London's Dynamite Cuts present this classic by legendary funk/soul outfit S.O.U.L. The acronym stands for Sounds Of Unity and Love, and consisted of four gentlemen from Cleveland, OH USA that formed in the early 1970s. 'Burning Spear' has a groove you'll recognise from the first beat, as it has been sampled in many hip-hop tracks over the years. The A side version is taken from their What it is? LP. On the flipside is the rare and more collectable version; a variation with more focus on the percussion which was originally released on 7' in 1971. Essential for those in the know.

Review: Admittedly, we are always a bit excited when more cheeky bootleg remix action from East End Edits come in. Following up the groovy yet tough rolling tech house of EEE09 and its jazzy flourishes, the subsequent release is an edit of 'Fever' by Peggy Lee, and it's a pretty good one if we do say so ourselves. Deep, sensual and mysterious mood music that's perfect for the warm-up slot, it features a lurking Reese bassline beneath clipped rhythms to support the sensual vocal of the original, not to mention its sombre clarinet solo. Class!

Review: Gettraum's eighth outing is another high class voyage into sleek and seductive tech house. The ever prolific label boss Romain Reynaud AKA Traumer is once again the man in charge of the music and as always he manages to mine new ground. 'Express' opens with powerful tech house funk that is carefully detailed with breathy female vices so as not to get too abstract. 'Engage' is similar but a little more dark and likely to get those teeth gritted. Last of all, 'Quanta' explores headier sounds, with zoned out grooves and nice watery pads floating up top. These always sell out, so don't hang about.

Review: Marie Ulven finally unveils her debut album, five years after she first won us over with 'I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend', an introverted slice of indie pop that rode the wave of deeply personal and quirky coming-of-age artists at the time. Since then, asking 'do you like Girl In Red' became a kind of code for 'are you gay?', with subsequent songs tackling issues around sexuality, gender and identity head on.

So this long form outing comes with weighty expectations, and it doesn't disappoint. With lyrics that hold little back, from accusing a partner of cheating by asking if they, and their infidel mate, came, through to 'Serotonin''s focus on the numbness and emptiness that can swallow us whole, there is plenty that will resonate irrespective of your age. Set to an instrumental score that owes much to the damaged and dejected indie rock of the 1990s, it's a wonderfully damaged thing.

Review: 
The first release from Regulate Recordings sets out its stall in fine fashion. The tidy 7" brings together elements of funk, hip hop, party breaks and plenty more into a pair of authentic old school sounds. They come from a Manchester DJ, T2Funk, who used the extra time he had during lockdown to explore his record collection and link up with producers and turntablists to form a collective and release their own jams on 45s. 'Listen To The Sound' has a real 80s swagger with plenty of great mic work and scratching, then 'That Beat' is a more rolling bit of boom bap with big horns.

Review: Leon Vynehall long again made the transition from decent tune maker to revered and unpredictable electronic artist. Now he proves why he holds that status one again with a follow up to his critically acclaimed debut long player Nothing Is Still. This time out he distils everything he has done so far in to a record with few comparisons. It is ready for dance floor deployment but never just functional. There are cavernous ambient pieces next to grainy, heavy, dubby rhythms with grand but lo-fi synth architecture as well as moments of intriguing experimentalism.

Review: In case you need bringing pop to speed, Locus is a brand new record label from the same vital team behind FUSE London. The sounds are a little quicker than those on the main label, with a future feel, electronic funk and cool to spare. Josh Baker takes the reins this time with the glossy vocal tech of 'Slippers All Summer' complete with nice cosmic pads. 'Fascinating' is a more jittery groove that tease and please with razor sharp hi hats and daubs of synth, then 'Jaffa' picks up the pace with acid bass, rave whistles and scintillating drum work. 'More Than Micro' closes on a nice heads down deep house vibe for the calming and late night hours.

Review: With this compilation, Grammy-nominated artists and brothers David and Stephen Dewaele aka Soulwax aka 2manydjs usher in a new chapter in the life of their label. Foundation is their 50th release and first compilation album and it features 27 essential tunes, three of which are brand-new and exclusive works. The whole thing plays out like a perfectly sequenced DJ set and traverses nu-disco, synth soundscapes and post-wave grooves that are mechanical and futuristic while also oozing a cool sense of funk and cyborg soul. Despite the breadth and depth of sound, that signature Soulwax sound still unites it all.

Review: Known for his Beach Diggin work, renowned French DJ, producer and digger Guts is back with a second volume of his Straight From The Decks Series. The sounds once again take in classy offerings from the worlds of Latin, afro, soul, Afrobeat, zouk and house, while a couple of super remixes from Dam Swindle also make the cut. Plenty of the tunes are hard to find rarities "acquired through nerve-raking auctions battles" while some previously digital only cuts also make the collection. Copping this one is short cut to a summer packed with classy heaters and steamy international rhythms.

Review: You can easily understand why Yello could rue the day they finished the seminal track 'Oh Yeah'. A bumbling and eccentric synth pop workout that almost sounds like someone got their first Casio keyboard and started playing something with all the weird and wonderful noises stored in its limited memory banks, while the track itself should have been destined for obscurity successive Hollywood movies of the 1980s had different ideas.

Hence the tune is etched into the common conscious. What many people don't realise, though, is how much of a flash in the pan Yello weren't, and how that track is just one moment in a relentlessly adventurous 40 year career. Hence this collection looking to showcase everything else that happened. Some of which, perhaps surprisingly, could be seen as paving the way for the likes of Alabama 3. Don't worry, though, 'Oh Yeah' is on here, too.

Review: During the 11 years in which they were active, krautrock pioneers CAN delivered a string of acclaimed and influential albums. They Cologne quartet was in a constant state of evolution, creating art-rock epics which frequently defied easy categorization. 1973's Future Days, which Mute has decided to remaster and reissue on gold vinyl, is a fantastic example of this. While rich in krautrock grooves that sit somewhere between jazz-rock and progressive rock, each of its four tracks has a decidedly different feel, with the sun-kissed, semi-ambient and bossa-tinged title track being followed by the wonky and percussive 'Spray' and the low-slung, funk-fuelled madness of 'Moonshake'. The headline attraction though remains the near 20-minute closer, 'Bel Air', an ever-changing, shape-shifting krautrock soundscape whose psychedelic intentions come wrapped in a hazy ambient veneer.

Review: Izipho Soul is one of our favourite labels here at Juno HQ. The music it serves up is of the sort that makes you need it in your bag as soon as you hear the first few seconds. June Evans is the latest lung busting vocalist to swoon her way into our hearts with a sunshine mix of this dazzling performance from 1981 over golden chords, leggy drums and a killer synth bassline that is phat as hell. Flip it over for 'Hardly Need To Say,' an achingly beautiful lament over a fusion groove that glows bright and exudes warmth. Utterly essential.

Review: Paul Murphy's Jazz Room Records has offered up fresh pressings of some seriously rare jazz records of late, including some that will be new to even the most dedicated of dusty-fingered diggers. Michel Magne's Le Monocle Rit Jaune is a great example of this. It was originally released on seven-inch single in 1964 and contains a quartet of tunes featured on the soundtrack to a French comedy film of the same name. The EP-opening title track is our pick: a jaunty, club-ready, flute-sporting jazz number that sounds a little like Dave Brubeck classic 'Take Five'. The other three compositions are a little cheekier and quirkier, with more obvious roots in cinematic comedy, but no less inspired in their own way.

Review: For those interested in Japan's modern jazz wave of the 1960s and early '70s, BBE's J Jazz Masterclass series of rare album reissues always deliver the goods. For proof, check the latest volume: a first ever reissue of Kohsuke Mine's 1970 debut album, First. Full of energetic, hard-wired sax solos (provided, of course, by Kohsune himself), rubbery bass (courtesy of Larry Ridley), jazz-funk electric piano (Masabum Kiluchi on keys) and frenetic rhythms (laid down by Lenny McBrowne), the album is undoubtedly a landmark J-Jazz set and just gets better with each successive listen. It also includes a terrific interpretation of Thelonious Monk classic 'Straight No Chaser', which - in our considered opinion -is no bad thing.

Review: Sidney Charles is someone who always brings a chunky sense of bass to his rock solid house grooves. This time out her gets a bit more silky and heady for the reliable Eastenderz label. 'Grindin' has a lush old school bassline with balmy pads to make for some nice spaced out funk. 'Basic Instinct' then gets more bubbly and minimal, with shuffling drums and synth weaving around each other to irresistible effect. 'Tempo Tap' rounds out with a toe tapping house rhythm that is upbeat, airy and designed to make floors cruise through the night.

Review: Andre Schmid (aka Rozzo) and Philippe Egger (aka Serafin) have been reaching many a deep house summit as The Mountain People ever since 2006. What they do isn't game changing, but it is s excellent executed that it always proves irresistible to both DJs and dancers. This latest EP is a case in point: 'Mountain 017 1' is simple but effective European deep house. The baseline is warm and rich, the drums have enough funk to them to draw you in each and every time. 'Mountain 017 2' strikes a perfect balance between tension and release, trapping you in unresolved lops then teasing with a hint or warm pad or hooky little hit. Gorgeous.

Review: Dark Entries is again presenting an essential classic: the Chicago house anthem Essence of a Dream, by Risque III. K'Alexi Shelby's illustrious career has included releases on legendary labels such as Trax, DJ International, and Transmat, as well as collaborations with high profile artists such as Marshall Jefferson and Pet Shop Boys. But his musical journey began at the young age of 12, when he befriended Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles while frequenting the Music Box and Warehouse. In high school, he began to write songs and hone his poetic craft. "I recognized I had a gift to say what I was thinking. I would study Prince and Marvin Gaye, figure out what they meant and put my spin on it. The power of the word. I was writing love notes for all my boys in high school and making a killing. I would know what to say and what they should do." In 1987, Shelby's first solo release, Risque III's "Essence of a Dream" b/w "Risque Madness," was to be cemented in Chicago dance history. He was accompanied in the studio by his cousin and production mentor, Mr. Lee. The track's effortlessly propulsive house rhythms (courtesy of the Roland TR-727, TR-707, and TR-909), salsa-inflected bassline, and oneiric strings fuse magnificently with K'Alexi's steamy, Prince-esque verse. Due to tight studio schedule times, his vocals were almost omitted. Says Shelby: "The session was coming to an end and I said I wanted to put the vocals on there. They said, 'We got no time unless you can get your vocals right in one take'. I said, 'Let it rip' and went into the vocal booth...they just stood there with their mouths open. The look on their faces was priceless." The B-side's "Risque Madness" is a tribute to Ron Hardy, DJ at the Music Box and one of K'Alexi's formative influences. The track opens with Shelby's processed voice announcing "I'd like to talk to you about escape. Let me take you away, away to a place where rhythm is life, and life is a never ending sound." This introduction captures how he felt dancing to disco every week at the Music Box. Hardy was known for playing an edit of Kikrokos' "Life is a Jungle," in which he looped the track's lysergic breakdown. Shelby utilizes the same delirious loop but builds upon it with additional percussion, melodies, samples from Hardy favorite "Let No Man Put Asunder" by First Choice, and manipulated vocals taken from The Madam's "The Sensuous Black Woman", a recording used often in early Chicago house DJ sets and recordings. Both sides of this record perfectly reflect the spirit of Chicago house music. Essence of a Dream has been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The sleeve was designed by Eloise Leigh, and features a never-before-seen photo of a teenage Shelby taken at his high school, with a bold font evoking 80's house music covers. Also included is a postcard with lyrics, an additional photo from the same session as the cover artwork, and liner notes from Shelby.

Review: Second time around for Matthew Halsall's sixth solo album, Salute to the Sun, a set that many critics cited as being among the best contemporary jazz albums of 2020. As the title suggests, it's unarguably Halsall's most summery album to date, with the celebrated bandleader and trumpeter - accompanied by some of Manchester's most accomplished players - offering up a swathe of relaxed, life-affirming compositions that combine modal and contemporary jazz themes with gentle, Latin-influenced rhythms, breezy instrumentation (harps, kalimbas, marimbas and so on) and subtle nods towards Charles Stepney and Terry Callier. Some of the woodwind and brass solos are similarly superb, while the album's sun-soaked, easy-going atmosphere is alluring whatever the weather.

Review: Jorun Bombay likes to muck about with all sorts of different beats, but he always does it with real skill and personality. That's made him one Canada's most revered hip hop stars and here he tackles the one and only Parliament. His version of "Knee Deep" with its extra bass weight and shrill synth lines bring the party vibes thanks to the feel good pianos. "Mothership Bonus Beats" on the flip is a late night, slow and sleazy jam to get you in the mood. The squelchy synth bass is to die for, the drawn out horns linger long in the air making it a perfectly steamy cut.

Review: Orange Tree serves up more low hanging, perfectly ripened disco fruit from four master diggers here. Melbourne's Hysteric open up with 'Forza,' a stomping bit of 80s synth work that radiates warmth. London duo Good Block offer up two cuts, the first of which is the dark and dubby 'Mondo', then 'Vuudu,' a steamy and percussive, heavy and edgy chugger with real presence. Parisian favourite Maybe Tonight closes out with the most dreamy of the lot - a track with swirling pads, steamy vocal whispers and a slapping groove overlaid with new age motifs.

Review: Wave making retro-groovers Talking Drums are back with Vol. 4, which some will say is their best outing yet. Once again it finds the outfit looking back to go forwards, with Balearic beats, chuggy grooves and Mediterranean vibes all colouring their music. 'Under The Sky' is coloured with lush kalimba and has you remerging some long lost holiday romance, then the flip 'Close Orbit' gets rather more cosmic. The synths meandering out into a dark night sky, the drums chug and the new beat feel is heightened by slapping hits.

Review: 
Junki Inoue is a renowned crate digger and DJ with fantastic taste as well as technical skills to pull off plenty of magic in the club. Now the Japanese artist branches out with his own new label Saisei, which translates from Japanese to mean 'reproduction' and 'to play'. The first missive comes from Dat Planet and Wah Wah Fuzzmaster aka Kino-Moderno and they cook up plenty of futuristic suds that exist in a world where house, techno and ambient meet. 'Acid Water' is all tripped out electronics and falling melodic rain with a busy 303, 'Eclipse' pairs a jittery groove with crunchy perc and things take a turn into long legged downtempo grooves on closer 'The Globe.'

Review: Mango Sounds, a disco edits and disco-house imprint with a bulging, digital-only catalogue to its name, has finally decided to release a record. Predictably, there's plenty to savour on the Russian label's first wax outing. Etur Usheo gets proceedings under way in fine fashion with 'Wo Ye Wa (Na Na)', a fine fusion of sparkling nu-disco electronics, driving disco bass and African instrumentation/vocals, before Whatever Charles delivers a lolloping, house style re-rub of a funk-fuelled Afro-disco treat ('African Dialects'). Experienced re-editor and remixer Ziggy Phunk steals the show with vibraphone-laden, proto-house treat 'Blues Grinder', while So.undso's 'Ultrashake' is a celebratory disco-house stomper with added synth squelch.

Review: British trumpeter and bandleader Ian Carr put out his most revered album in 1972. Its iconic fusion of jazz and rock has become a sought after rarity. Featured musicians include members of bands like Nucleus, Brian Auger's band, Soft Machine and Stan Tracy Group, and they all help lend the record a psychedelic, proggy aesthetic, with swirling melodies making for moody but funky tunes. Tracks like 'Mayday' put expressive solos and complex arrangements front and centre, while 'Suspension' is a more laidback joint for sinking into. The gorgeous meandering lilt of 'Summer Rain' is our personal favourite.