FRANK POPP ENSEMBLE Vinyl & CDs

Review: Frank Popp Ensemble's fourth album, Waves, arrives via Unique Records, building on an eccentric "one-man concept" project that has enjoyed close to two decades of Northern soul vibe recreating. Recorded in Spain over 2024, the new LP shares a bed with its predecessor, Receiver (2009, as Gerard Love lends his voice to a new render of Popp's plush 2004 tune, 'Save'; Love previously appeared on the Under Covers compilation with a Frank Popp cover and returns here with striking effect. Also featured is Nicke Andersson - veteran of Entombed, Hellacopters, and The Solution - bringing a punky energy to 'Caught in a Web', a Northern Soul burner with an unmistakable Magic Touch swing. Emma Noble, meanwhile, beams with shimmering girl-group charisma on 'Unstoppable'.

Review: Frank Popp Ensemble returns via its fourth studio album, recorded and produced in Spain throughout 2024. Known for their sleek combos of flared orchestration with retro soul motifs, Popp once again brings in a wide array of guest vocalists: Gerard Love, formerly of Teenage Fanclub, on the strings-laced rework of his own deep cut 'Save' from 2004; then Nicke Andersson (The Hellacopters, Entombed, Imperial State Electric) on 'Caught In A Web', a high-energy Northern soul workout reproduced in full Magic Touch style. An impeccably done cinematic indie soul rouser, wrestling the nubby essence of a sound to the ground.

Review: Emma Noble, the emerging soul singer from London, delivers a powerful performance on the girl group soul anthem 'Unstoppable'. Her second single, it's poised to become a next-gen floor-filler; catch us playing it on repeat, *in flagranti*, after it premiered on Craig Charles' BBC6 Soul Show in early 2025. 'Going Going Gone' backs it up on the B-side, as the first single from FPE's upcoming album Waves. Hearing rising Australian singer-songwriter and pop genius J Mahon on vocal duties, the track's catchy brass sections combine with J's androgynous soul vocals, and evokes the sounds of young Motown artists in the style's 60s adolescence.