New releases last eight weeks: Soul

Review: We're yet to get our ears around a compilation from US label Numero Group that isn't absolutely brilliant. This latest one isn't going to change that, either. Eccentric Soul: The Linco Label dives deep into Civil Rights-era Greensboro, where Black excellence and raw musical talent converged at North Carolina A&T. Local label head Walter Grady tapped a vibrant cast of "townies, homecoming queens, and big men on campus" to craft a revolutionary soul sound rooted in community and resistance. This collection captures the pivotal moment with hometown pride and boundary-pushing grooves coming thick and fast. From basement studios to protest marches, these tracks reflect a powerful cultural awakening and make for a great document of soul's grassroots history.

Review: The idea of what makes "modern soul" has long been a subject of debate, even among those at the top, specially tasked with arbitrating its definition. At Success Bottling Co., such spats escalated to the point where A&R team members Stephen Arndt and Tim Zawada had to be physically separated during a heated tracklist meeting. Yet we know that M-soul's origins can be traced to the UK's Northern Soul scene, where, in the late 70s, disco-adjacent 45s began appearing alongside traditional 60s selections. Today, modern soul is often associated with the 80s, incorporating synths and rhythm-machines. Quibbles persist: How much brass is too much? Can strings and synths truly coexist? Eccentric Modern Soul explores these ideas across eleven rambunctious ones, pinching previously unissued recordings from Wee, Ujima, and Wind alongside neat classics from Universal Togetherness Band, Mind & Matter, Maxx Traxx and 94 East.

Review: Numero's Eccentric Soul redefines the American soul diaspora, floating back upstream to posit hidden gems from the 60s and 70s. While most in the Eccentric Soul series have focused on specific cities or labels - so far, including Linco and Cobra, North Carolina and San Antonio - this latest bank of tracks prefigures a movement into a freer curation style, unburdened by place. Over just 11 tracks, we hear a focus on warmth and a contemporary edge, where all the tracks are no longer footnotes in a forgotten history: Wind's 'Best Thing I Can Do' and 94 East's 'If You See Me' reviving the furtive infamies of funk fringers crossing between everywhere from Minneapolis and Michigan.