The second step into the world of Cousin Zaka from French producer Blundetto, and one that's maybe even more powerful than the first – really continuing the journey of warmer, more organic music that Blundetto's been giving us in recent years – all at a level that's a lot richer than you might guess from the spare cover image on the set! The album's a bit of a nod to the world of sound library music, and some tracks here have the stark rhythms of funky 70s library groove – but overall, the record's got a lot more depth, and even though the tracks are instrumental, they may have a lot more going on than some of Blundetto's earlier work for singers. Titles include "West Highland", "Les Dumands", "La Puce", "Count Duke", "Nanana", "Les Fleurs De Carole", and "Melloguinche". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked gem from Finnish hard rock powerhouse Kalavala – renamed here as an Orchestra, but still working with the lean, sharp sound of their previous two albums! There's a nice evolution here from the earlier sound of the Scandia scene – maybe a bit of northern inspiration thrown into the music, which seems to elevate things to a new level – as does the subtle but sophisticated production! Titles include "Panamanian Red", "Playground", "Highland Temple", "Brown'll Suit You", "Forever Train", "Silver Fish", and "Lighthouse". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from Little Willie John – one of those singers who always grabs our attention! Willie's light years ahead of most of his contemporaries here – already moving more towards soul than R&B, and really shaking himself free of any bluesy cliches. Most of the tunes feature small group backings – often with a touch of jazz, thanks to the presence of Hal Singer and Willis Jackson on tenor – and titles include "Spasms", "Let's Rock While The Rockin's Good", "Home At Last", "You're A Sweetheart", "A Little Bit Of Loving", "Why Don't You Haul Off & Love Me", "All My Love Belongs To You", and "Are You Ever Coming Back". LP, Vinyl record album

It's always a sure thing when we see the name of Little Willie John on the cover of a record – a sure thing that the music's going to be great, the vocals sublime, and the whole thing a non-stop package of raw early soul! Willie's a singer who recorded for King Records during the same early years as James Brown and Hank Ballard – and his tremendous talents were part of that label's trio of genius at the time – a genius that, for Willie, got cut too short due to some time behind bars – a later legacy that's maybe always informed people's understanding of his music. Yet even without that back story, the sounds here are amazing on their own – extremely powerful, and a great fusion of earlier R&B modes with the growing soul styles to come – cut right to the bone with stellar King production. Titles include "My Love Is", "I Like To See My Baby", "Walk Slow", "The Very Thought Of You", "Loving Care", "You Hurt Me", "I'm Shakin", "A Cottage For Sale", and "There's A Difference". LP, Vinyl record album