GLENN DAVIS Vinyl & CDs

Review: Once in a while a perfect record comes along that ticks all the boxes - authentic flavours, rich soul vibes, sweet vocals, deep drums. This Glenn Davies outing on F*CLR Music is just that. 'Special' is perfectly titled and channels the likes of Glenn Underground and Alton Miller through loose but driving grooves, genuinely emotive vocals and subtle chord work. The North Street West vocal remix is more playful and soulful as the production is stripped back somewhat, and the instrumental goes the other way, making more of the drums and chords and their lively interactions.

Review: Glenn Davis' first outing on F*CLR Music, 2018's "Body & Soul EP", was something of a slept-on gem: a four-track collection of warm, groovy and musically intricate deep house capable of warming the cockles of even the stoniest of hearts. If anything, this belated follow-up is even better. "Namida (Tears Of Happiness)" is both superb and sublime: a spacey chunk of jazz-flecked futurist deep house rich in Latin-tinged drums, Detroit style sci-fi synths and chords that are so positive and life-affirming that you might want to marry them. Ashley Beedle and Darren Morris don the Afrikanz On Marz alias to deliver two top-drawer remixes: a decidedly cosmic, intergalactic "real" disco remake (the "remix") and an even more spacey, stripped-back "Dub". The latter is almost as inspired as Davis' original, which is saying something.