Jamwax レコード& CD

Review: Original copies of T.Z Junior's bubblegum-boogie cut "Sugar My Love" are hard to come by outside of the artist's home country of South Africa. It's been that way since the single was first released on Roy B Records in 1985, hence this tidy reissue from the on-point Jamwax label. The title track remains a breezy, melodious, cheery and soul-flecked treat, with T.Z Junior delivering a brilliantly evocative lead vocal over bustling bubblegum synths, delay-laden machine drums and an inspired electrofunk bassline. "Are You Ready For Love", meanwhile, may not be quite as celebrated but is equally as impressive. It's the kind of sun-kissed "bubblegum" treat that would sound perfect blasting out of a soundsystem on a hot summer's day.

Review: Laury Webb is a lesser-known reggae artist active since the 1970s, and 'Woman My Queen' is one of his few releases; a heartfelt piece that features a smooth and soulful production by Philip Sloley, as well as a wompy, clipping kick sound and a haunting confession of love. This reissue is of one of two of Webb's to come out on the original label Reality Records; two further cuts which didn't feature on the original 12" appear here, from the triumphant 'It Seems The Same' to its uplifter-dub version.