Funk Soul & Jazz charts

Review: Three years after Ticket to Shangri-La, Young Gun Silver Fox return with a polished showcase of contemporary AOR and blue-eyed soul that could be a long-lost gem, but it isn't, it's all new. The duo of Andy Platts of Mama's Gun and multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lee really deliver here with achingly lush melodies, breezy harmonies and effortlessly smooth vocals that embody their signature mellow sound and tap into all the classics of this genre. From start to finish, Pleasure is steeped in warmth and nostalgia yet feels refreshingly modern and it's a must-have if you like soulful, feel-good pop and yacht rock. With a major European tour ahead, this duo continue to prove they're at the heart of today's AOR revival.

Review: The fifth album by Young Gun Silver Fox - Andy Platts and Shawn Lee - further explores their love for the smooth, sun-soaked 70s West Coast pop-rock and soul. Musing on Steely Dan, Earth, Wind & Fire, and the Doobie Brothers, the pair came together in Norfolk to write and record in person, with over half the record's tracks emerging from these in-studio sessions. Known for a rapidly growing following in the UK and Europe, Young Gun Silver Fox have also made waves in the U.S., wrapping up their biggest tour yet, including sold-out shows and support dates with Black Pumas. As Andy reflects, "I just smell the ocean and the air... and I can just kick back and enjoy it."

Review: Since 2019, Ryozo Band have attracted the attention of fans both in their native Japan and overseas, owing to their deft workings in the realm of jazz-funk and fusion, all tempered by a buzzing affective irreverence. In 2023, they released the 'Utopia' EP, and now follow up said award-winner with yet another, equally affecting EP-form homage to all things felicific and dopaminergic: 'Pleasure'. Kicking off with an impressive, minimalist keyboard exposition, the Ryozo formula soon unfurls as a counterpoint of uptempo wrist-flicked drumming and two horns in unison, overlaid further by sax, trumpet and synth saw. Heavily borrowing from rhythmic and vibeish trends in the current UK jazz scene, 'Pleasure' is a synaptic surge of various sonic serotonins and oxytocins, amounting to what is best describable both as a qualitative and quantitative hedonic calculation in jazz.

Review: With names like Funtown and 'Pleasure', you already know how it's gonna go down. The Japanese imprint here offer two new ones to follow up their prior releases such as 'Better 2 Know U'; on the A-side comes 'Pleasure', on which we're assured that one kiss from this mystery vocalist is all it'll take to get us excited; and then, on the B-side, comes a sudden lo-fi future funk interjection, in what might be one of the sickest examples of the form that we've heard in a while. Not one to miss.