Hornin' Sounds Vinyl & CDs

Review: Hornin' Sounds has been on fire of late and their latest offering is another essential one. Both tunes explore deep dark funk roots from the mid 70s, and have both been produced by U.K. wizard Clem Bushay with The Cimarons on fire as the backing band. Carl Bert provides the vocals, which are buttery smooth and heartfelt as he muses on slipping into darkness over acoustic guitar riffs and rolling ridders. A fine dubs mix by Jeh Jeh is liquid and bottomless. As usual the French label have promised (threatened?) that there will be no reissues of this one, so move fast, dub lovers.

Review: Jackie Paris of the Sensations formed a vital part of said Jamaican vocal harmony group, who were in turn a vital part of Caribbean island nation's rocksteady and reggae scenes of the 60s. Paris (not to be confused with the American jazz singer of the same name) was in fact frontman, and while his appearances with The Sensations and for his many Duke Reid/Treasure Isle collaborations were indeed sensational, his solo work is oft overlooked. 'Make Me Smile' is the best exception, coming backed on the B by the metallically weighty 'Smile Version', where girding a lackadaisical laxer of an A-side, with its central theme of smily forbearance, lies a merciless trunk of bassweight.

Review: A Hornin' Sounds deep cut from Jackie Paris - not the jazz vocalist, but the Jamaican singer formerly of American harmony group The Sensations - this soulful roots number carries the unmistakable mark of Winston Riley. Paris's voice, rich and grainy, sits confidently over a stripped-back, bass-heavy groove, trenchantly dug by Riley, the Techniques founder who helped steer reggae through and past its rocksteady, early dancehall and roots phases. Known for his tight productions and ear for vocal hooks, Riley brings a crisp, unhurried touch here, letting the weight of the rhythm speak.

Review: Horning Sounds is fast approaching 50 releases and is doing so with some classic roots and lover's rock from Ruddy Symbol, who are also behind that landmark 50th. This new reissue is of their classic mid-eighties sounds, namely 'A So The System Work'. It's as laid back and loved up as this stuff comes - the loosely picked guitars, the oh-so-sweet falsetto vocals and the gentle chords all serve to melt your soul. Flip it over for a dub version but the A-side really does take some beating.