Juno Recommends Soul: February 2022

Review: For this entry in the ever-expanding series from the master Danny Krivit, we turn to two productions from the legendary Lamont Dozier. Both songs are artfully rearranged by Mr. K and appear here on 12-inch vinyl for the first time.

Review: We'll jump at the chance to talk about anyone affiliated with the mysterious SAULT collective. One of their most prominent voices, Cleo Sol, has here teamed up with her longtime producer friend Inflo for her second album, 'Mother'. This 12-track LP spans neo-soul, jazz and folk, and chronicles Sol's turbulent transition into motherhood. Across solitary ballads like 'Sunshine' and radiant folk dirges like 'Know That You Are Loved' and 'Promises', this album sounds purer in contrast to her debut 'Rose In The Dark'. Watch out for the hidden tracks on this vinyl edition.

Review: Thanks to the divine work of Presssure Makes Diamonds, yet another hidden two-step soul classic has been unearthed, buckling under the compressed weight of popular demand to deliver a fresh reissue of Brief Encounter's 'Human'. While the original pressing, circulated from 1977, fetches up to $500 nowadays, this reissue hears a better pressing and wider distribution, and shows off the rural North Carolina band's extensive ultra-rare groove talents, as well as influences from Leon Haywood to Rufus & Chaka Khan. Allow this wax to melt over your ears, giving the Brief Encounter the appreciation they deserved, but never achieved.

Review: This new compilation on Outta Sight deals in some precious cuts of rare soul from names you may well not be familiar with, such is the long and winding nature of soul music through the ages. The main focus is the 70s and a rich treasure trove of tracks you'd be parting with serious cash to own in their original form. Even if you've been a dedicated soul digger for decades there's sure to be something on here you've not heard before - this is a compilation put together by the heads, for the heads.

Review: This album is one of the greatest r&b records ever. That's just a fact. Jill Scott herself has never even managed to surpass what she lay down on this stone-cold classic all the way back in 2002. The production is stylish and warm, seductive and sensual throughout, with jazz, neo soul, funk, r&b and hip hop all carefully infusing each track. The lyrics are empowering as they celebrate blackness and female strength, but also at times witty and playful. It's a go-to date night album for people all over the world and how it missed out on a Grammy for Best Album or Best Vocal Performance when it was first nominated we will never know.

Review: Southern California's soul scene is dominated by Thee Sinseers. This leading outfit form a perfect link between the past, present and future of soul with their oh so sweet sounds and that's evident again on this new single. The band is lead by Joey QuiNones who is surely destined to go on to be an all time great and he produces, writes, and plays just about everything you can hear on all of this band's material. The a-side single 'What's His Name' is an unforgettable and instant classic with aching vocal harmonies and gently falling drums that tumble their way into your affections.

Review: Don't be fooled by the volume of soul and funk reissues we have in stock. This limited clear 7" single is a completely new and original track, courtesy of The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, who blend raunchy horn honks and boxy percs to ultimately concoct a geniusly blaxploitation-inspired, modern funk classic. The San Diego band have secured a big ole' ensemble - fuzz guitar, harpsichord and flute included - to pull of this swinging sonic scene. Watch out for the woozily high B-side 'La Fachada' too.

Review: Lady Wray is one of the brightest talents in the field of neo-soul, and now she's back with her second album. There's something ultimately classic about her sound on this new record, tapping into the deep heritage of US soul as you might expect to hear from Gloria Ann Taylor or Minnie Ripperton, with bombastc songwriting and a gutsy, 70s-indebted production that sounds like honey in your ears. Throw in a tough boom-bap slant on the drums - not least on 'Games People Play' - which should have old-skool hip-hoppers nodding with approval, and you've got a new essential from the ever-strong Big Crown stable.

Review: Here comes a gorgeous bit of Northern Soul from the mid-70s. It was produced by Patrick Adams for The Fantastic Puzzles (who were also known as The Four Puzzles, and simply The Puzzles) in his usual inimitable uplifting fashion and is sure to fill dance floors as freely now as it did back then. The 1976 original will cost you a few quid if you can find one so this reissue is welcome indeed. Both parts are included and are equally joyous: the a-side has lush bass and chords, with soaring vocals and gentle tambourine sounds next to the rousing horns, and the flip keeps on rolling in the same fashion.

Review: The community-based collective Voices Of East Harlem blessed the world with three albums and a whole string of funky singles back in the day. They were produced by the dream team pairing of Leroy Hutson and Curtis Mayfield and came on Just Sunshine Records over the course of five years. Many cult tracks were born and two of them get reissued here on this new and limited edition 7" for Dynamite Cuts. 'Can You feel It' is deep cut funk with steamy vocals and Part 2 is a little more spaced out and cosmic with tumbling drums and freeform synths. Superb stuff.

Review: The irresistible Menahan Street Band is one of the core acts on the Daptone label and they never fail to serve up heart-melting sounds full of beautiful melancholy. Here they make another triumphant return to the label with none other than Los Yesterdays front man Victor Benavides in tow. He guests on 'The Stranger' in which his vocals plead and convey real emotional pain over a spare, slow motion rhythm. It slow rises to a soulful high that has a bittersweet feeling that will keep you coming back for more. 'Black Velvet' is another moody instrumental ballad that was the original inspiration for the vocal version on the a-side.

Review: Athens of the North have teased this collection of singles with a bunch of taster 7"s but still the full length itself confounds expectation. It is a superb work of heart aching soul and modern disco from Brief Encounters who are best known for their stone cold classics 'Get A Good Feeling' and 'Just A Little Notion.' The first of those two features here along with many others gems such as the blue-eyed opener 'Where Will I Go,' deep soul of 'Don't Let Them Tell You' and bigger, horn led tunes like 'I'm So Satisfied.' It's an essential album for any and all soul lovers.

Review: Southern California's soul scene is dominated by Thee Sinseers. This leading outfit form a perfect link between the past, present and future of soul with their oh so sweet sounds and that's evident again on this new single. The band is lead by Joey QuiNones who is surely destined to go on to be an all time great and he produces, writes, and plays just about everything you can hear on all of this band's material. The a-side single 'What's His Name' is an unforgettable and instant classic with aching vocal harmonies and gently falling drums that tumble their way into your affections.

Review: Tim Maia is one of Rio's most enduring soul-funk legends. Part of the reason for that is the vast amount of music he put out - there are something like 30 odd full-lengths in his back catalogue, many of them with very similar if not exactly identical names. His seventh album, the self-titled Tim Maia, was released 1976 and is one of his most popular. Original pressings have gone for huge sums in the past and it's no wonder as this is the sound of a man who was really getting into his groove and own singular sound.

Review: It was Dave Godin including this lush bit of aching Louisiana deep soul on the first Deep Soul Treasures CD that renewed interest in it. Now, original copies are pricey and hard to find and last year a nice cover version was served up by Lady Blackbird. The good folk at Beat Goes Public aka BGP have decide to reissue the original. It's an impossible to ignore track laden with heartbreak. On the flip side is another bluesy soul gem in the form of 'Hummin' A Sad Song.'

Review: Lady Wray is one of the brightest talents in the field of neo-soul, and now she's back with her second album. There's something ultimately classic about her sound on this new record, tapping into the deep heritage of US soul as you might expect to hear from Gloria Ann Taylor or Minnie Ripperton, with bombastc songwriting and a gutsy, 70s-indebted production that sounds like honey in your ears. Throw in a tough boom-bap slant on the drums - not least on 'Games People Play' - which should have old-skool hip-hoppers nodding with approval, and you've got a new essential from the ever-strong Big Crown stable

Review: Freddy DeBoe was a long time saxman for Charles Bradley And The Extraordinaires. He founded this own label D-BO Records and kicked off the label with this now reissued EP of burning instrumental funk. First up is 'Remember The Good Times' which is an airy mid tempo groove laced with a soulful horn that takes you to a higher plane. ON the backside of this tasty 7" is 'Gato Loco' complete with subtle screeching cat sounds and bluesy melodies over gentle rhythms. D-BO Records is now a subsidiary of the much love retro soul label Daptone so expect plenty more great reissues such as this.