Sweet and gritty soul from D'Angelo – who takes a huge step into deeper territory on Voodoo – and it's one of the most monumental records of its time! On one level, Voodoo works as a nicely stripped-down session with a very classic soul feel. Gone are the overzealous flourishes that sometimes overwhelmed his earlier songs, and in their place are some sweetly crafted vocal parts with a classic Marvin Gaye/Al Green feel. That warmth is probably what made Voodoo a massive popular success – but what makes it such a creative triumph are the darker undercurrents – which hint at a troubled soul struggling for spiritual truth. One of the rare cases in popular music when great art became music for the masses! Titles include "Left & Right (feat Method Man & Redman)", "The Line", "Spanish Joint", "Africa", "Feel Like Makin Love", "The Root", "Playa Playa", "Devil's Pie", and "Greatdayndamornin/Booty". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from one of our favorite soul singers of recent years – the amazing Lewis Taylor, one of the freshest voices in R&B of the past decade! The album's Lewis' second on his own label – and it's even better than the first, with a tightness and sweetness that are instantly infectious. Lewis has dropped some of the experimental moments of earlier albums, and gone for a song structure that's more straightforward and direct – but never commercial or slick – just honest, open and fresh! His vocals have a lightly floating feel that's a bit of a change – set up perfectly next to skipping drums, sweet keyboards, and nice touches on guitar that really pull out some of his jazzier tendencies, and almost create a Shuggie Otis feel at times! Another instant classic from Lewis, filled with great tunes that include "Out Of My Head Is The Way I Feel", "Carried Away", "Keep Right On", "When Will I Ever Learn 2", "Throw Me A Line", "Won't Fade Away", "Keep On Keeping On", and "Positively Beautiful 2". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet bass-heavy funk from this overseas combo – a Polish group, but one who clearly dig the Ohio funk style that surged up at the end of the 70s, as well as the tighter funky grooves of Prince during the following decade! The ensemble have a wonderfully sharp vibe, and the lyrics snake around the rhythms in this really great way – completely seductive, and with a punch that really sends the whole thing over the top – especially as many cuts have more than one singer, working together with the sharpness of the instrumentalists in the group! Titles include "Fusion", "Lover's Disappearance", "My Mind", "The Line", "Hole", "Morphin", "No Codes", and "Cominbackdown". (Deep Funk, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic debut from Chicago soul singer Kaina Castillo – an artist who may well become huge in years to come, given the strength of this initial album! There's a really special vibe going on here – as Kaina's not afraid to put herself or her feelings on the line, but also not in a way that's ever too overwrought – almost as if she's sharing them with us on a personal level, but wrapped up in these seductive soul vocals that have a much more subtle sort of power. All the material is original, but there's one track on here that's an older Syreeta classic – and that relationship may well be a good way to describe the uniqueness of Kaina too. The whole album was written and done in collaboration with Sen Morimoto, who provides some equally understated backings that really fit the vocals – on titles that include "It Was A Home", "Good Feeling", "Sweetness", "Come Back As A Flower", "Golden Mirror", "Casita", "Anybody Can Be In Love", and "Ultraviolet". LP, Vinyl record album