The Black Pumas went from underground status to much bigger fame in just a short span of time – and this smoking second album will definitely continue that nonstop rise to stardom! As before, the group are heavy on older references to funk and soul, but given a lean, contemporary spin in the production – handled by Adrian Quesada, with all the richness he's forged on countless other projects over the years – so that the grooves and instrumentation are right on the money, and augmented by these slight sonic surprises that really keep things interesting! The vocals seem even better than before – raw, raspy, and very powerful – on titles that include "Mrs Postman", "Gemini Sun", "Sauvignon", "Angel", "Hello", "Chronicles Of A Diamond", "Ice Cream", and "More Than A Love Song". (Deep Funk, Neo Soul) CD

The Black Pumas went from underground status to much bigger fame in just a short span of time – and this smoking second album will definitely continue that nonstop rise to stardom! As before, the group are heavy on older references to funk and soul, but given a lean, contemporary spin in the production – handled by Adrian Quesada, with all the richness he's forged on countless other projects over the years – so that the grooves and instrumentation are right on the money, and augmented by these slight sonic surprises that really keep things interesting! The vocals seem even better than before – raw, raspy, and very powerful – on titles that include "Mrs Postman", "Gemini Sun", "Sauvignon", "Angel", "Hello", "Chronicles Of A Diamond", "Ice Cream", and "More Than A Love Song". (Deep Funk, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Joe Armon-Jones provides some mighty keyboards here – these great lines on Wurlitzer electric piano that flow out mightily next to skittish live work on bass and drums, and which are augmented by a bit more electronics on the side! The tune's got this flowing, cosmic energy that really showcase the best of the current London mode – completely fresh, but also very much jazz as well! "Aquarius" is on the flipside, and is more processed – both on the vocals and rhythms, but still with some nice keyboard solo moments peppered throughout. (Jazz, Neo Soul) 12-inch, Vinyl record

A tri-lingual set from this very compelling soul singer – a set mostly done in English, but with work in Darija and German, the latter of which reflects her adopted home in Hamburg. Some of the best cuts here are nice and mellow, with Douniah's vocals crackling gently next to the keyboards and warmer electronics – and the set's got this quietly cosmic vibe that's mighty nice, and very different both from so much other contemporary work, and other projects on the Melting Pot label. Production is by Dhanya Langer, and titles include "Runnin", "Nur Fur Mich", "new Life", "Yennayer", "Saba Al Noor", "I Left An Open Door", and "Half Milk Half Water". LP, Vinyl record album

A really nice side project from the excellent Mourning A BLKstar collective – spare sounds with a different vibe than the work of the larger group, but which comes across with an equally righteous sound overall! LaToya Kent handles the vocals, and the backings are often very spare – electronics, tapes, beats, and touches of guitar and keyboards – creating a much moodier soundscape, and one that almost shows a darker future than the larger group have given us in their music. Titles include "Crawl On Yer Belly", "Burns", "Sugamilk", "Git Ready", "Portabelly", "Dirt", "Gimlet", and "The Current History Of Blue". LP, Vinyl record album