If you like Fender Rhodes, you'll find plenty to love here – as Moonchild is just the duo of singer Amber Navran and keyboardist Andris Mattson – whose warm lines here are a perfect accompaniment to the vocals! There's a warm, organic vibe here that's maybe a bit different than some of the other work from the Tru Thoughts label in recent years – much more indie soul, although Navran's vocals are maybe a bit more understated, and sometimes let the keyboards take the lead! There's occasional other instrumentation on the record – acoustic piano, alto sax, and more – but the real charm comes from the interplay between voice and keyboards – on titles that include "Now & Then", "Change Your Mind", "Hideaway", "Cure", "6AM", "The List", "Doors Closing", and "Think Back". LP, Vinyl record album

Dusty grooves from Alice Russell – a set that's steeped in heavy soul influences all the way through – from her great vocals on the top, to the tight instrumentation in the middle, to all the heavy drums that keep things kicking on the bottom! The album may well be Russell's tightest outing to day – and a set that's done in close collaboration with Alex Cowan – who really helps move Alice's music forward strongly with some new elements that never appeared in previous outings! There's some cool little twists and turns in the music – slight use of contemporary keys and electronics alongside the live funk elements – blended in nicely, without any sense of gimmick at all – and really helping bridge the space between the deep funk underground where Russell's worked strongly for years, and the bigger soul mainstream she could well dominate in the future. Titles include "Twin Peaks", "I Loved You", Citizens", "To Dust", "Hard & Strong", "For A While", "A To Z", and "Let Go". Features bonus track "Different". LP, Vinyl record album

If you like Fender Rhodes, you'll find plenty to love here – as Moonchild is just the duo of singer Amber Navran and keyboardist Andris Mattson – whose warm lines here are a perfect accompaniment to the vocals! There's a warm, organic vibe here that's maybe a bit different than some of the other work from the Tru Thoughts label in recent years – much more indie soul, although Navran's vocals are maybe a bit more understated, and sometimes let the keyboards take the lead! There's occasional other instrumentation on the record – acoustic piano, alto sax, and more – but the real charm comes from the interplay between voice and keyboards – on titles that include "Now & Then", "Change Your Mind", "Hideaway", "Cure", "6AM", "The List", "Doors Closing", and "Think Back". CD

Maybe the sharpest set so far from Harleighblu – a record that's got the soul singer working here with Starkiller, who brings a sharpness to the music that really sets her vocals free! The lady's always had a bit of a bit in the way she puts over a tune, but that seems to be even more the case here – as the tunes bristle with this kind of crackling cosmic funk that has as much electricity as Harleighblu seems to bring to her vocals even without any sort of production help – a bristle to the music that keeps things nice and raw throughout! Titles include "Amorine", "Set Yourself Free", "Without You", "Middle Of The Road", "Life Fast Die Young", and "Finish Me". CD

One of the most soulful acts in years from the Tru Thoughts label – and that's saying a lot, given that most of their records are pretty darn soulful! Seshun have kind of a crispy, contemporary vibe – tunes that aren't afraid to hang onto a hook, but which also have all the forward-thinking production elements that you'd expect if you know any of their labelmates – a blend that makes the catchy lead female vocals still feel wonderfully fresh, and quite far from mainstream R&B. Bassist Akiyosi Ehara produced the record, but all the words were written by singer Lalin St Juste – whose charms are the real draw to our ears! Titles include "Distant Heart", "Right Here", "Spectacle", "Flames & Figures", "Already Gone", "Other Spaces", and "Firewalker". (New Grooves, Neo Soul) CD