Back catalogue: Soul

Review: Remark at this 1979 step-by-step musical instructional manual on how to transform the melancholias and morosenesses of glum men into feelings of gratitude. The Capreez, whose band name informally evolved from the more conservatively spelled "The Capris", were an obscure band from the Detroit area, who released singles on both Tower and Sound Records in the 1960s. The how-to in question involves telling him you love him and need him, explicating an amorous solution.

Review: Brooklyn-born Dennis Harte might only have been eleven when he picked up a Sears Silvertone, but the music on this anthologyirecorded between 1973 and 1974iis anything but juvenile. Collected here for the first time on a single release, these four singles originally appeared under shifting monikers (Dennis Harte, Harte Attack, Harte Brothers and Pure Madness), a strategy cooked up by mentor Carl Edelson to maximise industry exposure. The sound veers between garage soul, basement psych, and scrappy blue-eyed r&bian adolescent echo of The Rascals, The Youngbloods or early Spoonful. 'Summer's Over', written by Edelson, is the emotional peak: a world-weary soul lament, rendered uncanny by Harte's teenaged delivery. 'Running Thru My Mind' plays it cooler but still flickers with melodic instinct and wiry guitar interplay. 'Freedom Rides' charges out with organ-stabbed garage grit, a protest anthem wrapped in biker-jacket energy. 'Treat Me Like a Man' flips a Beatles-influenced B-side by Long Island group The Shandels into something looser and more ragged. Harte would go on to tour with Wilson Pickett, but these early 7"sinever before compiledishowcase a raw, regional talent teetering on the edge of real experience. Efficient Space lands another killer excavation from North America's fringe.

Review: Mayer Hawthorne's debut release hears a faithful reissue via Stones Throw. 'Just Ain't Gonna Work Out' was first released in 2008 as the first forerunner to the LP A Strange Arrangement, which was released the following year. Housed on a distinctively oblong, heart-shaped, red 7", the star track hears Hawthorne segue uncertainly from serenade to breakup song, and we're treated to his trademark croaky falsetto too; too nice to pass up. B-sider 'When I Said Goodbye' is a haunting soul reminiscence, giving barbershop harmonies laid down by a ghostly troupe, amid talk of shattered wills and wistful post-breakup apologies.

Review: Texas-based jazz harpist Cindy Horstman quietly released Fretless in 1995, a self-assured exploration of jazz textures and instrumental elegance. Tucked among its originals is 'Something New', a standout soul jazz cut that drifts with mid-tempo grace, elevated by James Kings', well, fret-free vocal perforations. Horstman's harp is hardly heard here on this album salvaging; instead, she procured 'Something New', steeped in street and smooth soul, with tuned claves and electronic triangles abounding. Pressed on clear vinyl and limited to 300 copies, this small-batch reissue offers a welcome return for a quietly majestic moment in 90s jazz-soul fusion.

Review: Al Hudson & The Soul Partners' 'Spread Love' remains a cornerstone of Disco, emerging as a highlight from their 1978 album Spreading Love on ABC Records. This track, which has seen numerous covers and samples over the decades, is now officially licensed and remastered for the first time in 46 years by South Street Disco. The release offers a fresh perspective on this classic, with the A-side presenting the extended intro version as heard on the original album, while the B-side features the 1978 12" single version that plunges directly into the groove. This remastered edition not only celebrates the track's enduring legacy but also provides an opportunity for both new listeners and long-time fans to experience it anew.