Barry Walker Jr. is a pedal steel player and guitarist whose roots in Americana, Country and Folk traditions influence his melding of minimalism, ambient and spiritual music. The Portland-based instrumentalist is also a member of the Rose City Band, known for his gorgeous phrasing and deft interplay with guitarist Ripley Johnson. On Paleo Sol, Walker demonstrates his singular voice as a pedal steel player and composer. Evoking the American western ranges and basins, the album embodies a longer, geologic view of time that patiently marvels at the ripples of change throughout lifetimes and ages. Walker is joined on Paleo Sol by drummer Rob Smith (Rhytion, Pigeons) and bassist and Mouth Painter bandmate Jason Willmon (Fruited Planes). Paleo Sol’s tranquil landscapes glide, built on warm finger-picked guitar figures and pedal steel swells coupled with deft percussion and bass touches by Smith and Willmon respectively. The trio plays with exceptional fluidity either completing each others phrasing or working together to build momentum. Smith notes: “The drums are not keeping time as much as evidencing its elasticity, mixing into the other instruments, changing phase states.” Every gesture on the album is rich with intention, moving with grace and playing with timbre and time. The pieces of Paleo Sol were composed during a monumental shift in Walker’s own life, around the birth of his first child. Walker’s compositions are guided by a serenity and gentleness that makes for a dreamy soundtrack. His acumen as a composer and instrumentalist are on full display on Paleo Sol. The album is a gorgeous reflection of Walker’s own internal world as well as the detailed environment he’s spent so much of his life exploring as a field geologist.

TRACK LISTING

Quiessence
Son, Don't Brighten The Bear Creek Rhyolite
Leaving Lower Big Basin
A Trip Into Town
Under Leaf Hill
Peridot, Call Me
Sentient Lithosphere
Aether Ore

New York-based Patrick Sullivan AKA P-Sol has a terrific track record when it comes to refined re-edits and classy, sample-rich mash-ups. Even so, his latest effort, delivered on a tidy and must-check seven-inch, is particularly potent. On the A-side, he takes us into immersive, seductive and ultra-deep territory via the mid-tempo house headiness of 'Everybody' - a kind of 'quiet storm goes deep house' affair featuring warming electric piano chords, heady bass and selected vocal samples from a soulful classic. On 'Walk Away', he provides a warming, percussion-rich new take on R&B classic 'Don't Walk Away', adding her familiar vocals to a head-nodding instrumental full of mazy solos, rubbery bass guitar and handclap-heavy beats.

TRACK LISTING

Everybody (7" Version)
Walk Away

“Solange’s 2008 critically-lauded album was her second, but the first where she stretched out and showed the vision and creativity that fans have come to expect. This Motown-influenced album debuted #9 on the Billboard Top 200 and features production by Pharrell Williams, Mark Ronson, Thievery Corporation, Bilal and others.” - Music World Entertainment

‘Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams’ is now available on black vinyl.

TRACK LISTING

God Given Name
T.O.N.Y.
Dancing In The Dark
Would've Been The One
Sandcastle Disco
I Decided - Album Version
Valentine's Day
6 O'Clock Blues
Ode To Marvin
I Told You So
Cosmic Journey
This Bird

Son of Lee is Brooklyn-based DJ and producer. A native New Yorker, he has been active in Brooklyn's dance music underground for over a decade. The Hollowbody EP delivers two new reworks of a little-known American jazz-funk treasure. "One Time" is a filter house-inspired floor filler that's been dubplate tested to great effect on many a dance floor over the last year. "Get Ya, Have Ya" is a downtempo beatdown stomper reminiscent of LTJ and Cottam at their finest. Son Of Lee has been refining a unique blend of leftfield disco, cosmic, and deep-dug funk and r&b that he's showcased on earlier releases with Dailysession, Disco Bizarre and Rocksteady Disco.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Humble beginnings often lead onto greatness, which is what we have here from Lee Hollowbody who looks to follow in the footsteps of the cut and splice royalty that precede him. Judging by this opening gambit, I'd say we're potentially onto summat special!

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. One Time

Side 2
1. Get Ya, Have Ya

Back from the undead is this new pressing of the first of all Gastr del Sol records, ‘The Serpentine Similar’. It is one of several distinct initiators of a definitive musical drift in the 1990s, and a drift all of its own, to boot.

At the time, this album was largely heard within an underground whose boundaries were clearly defined - but if today’s sound-pool of ‘commercial’ music is deeper and wider than it was back then, it is without a doubt due to the cracking open of certain doors of perception by Gastr del Sol, alongside their esteemed others.

The year was 1992. After a bruising run of tour dates the year before, the final lineup of Bastro, a power-trio of David Grubbs, Ken (Bundy) Brown and John McEntire, retired, exhausted. Shortly thereafter, they were rebirthed, sans drums, via a new set of ideas composed in the cut-down configuration of Grubbs on guitars, keyboards and vocals and Brown on bass. Playing in duo format opened up sound and intention, leaving the need for speed (and the stock in rock) out, while letting in an expanse of brooding, droning acoustic space that highlighted the songs’ serpentine shapes. This was something so radically different as to require a new calling card: henceforth, Gastr del Sol.

Signing to Teen Beat, Gastr del Sol completed ‘The Serpentine Similar’ in late 1992 for release the following year (the Drag City reissue came in 1997). In the final rendering, ‘The Serpentine Similar’’s roof-rent, white-sky execution was attenuated with several percussion appearances from the prodigal John McEntire. Over the next five years, his cameo presence was a constant in Gastr del Sol’s steadily-evolving tradition of significant breaks from tradition at every turn. There would be an even more significant tradition-breaker onboard for all this; following the release of ‘The Serpentine Similar’, Jim O’Rourke joined Grubbs in Gastr as Brown exited (to focus on Tortoise, with McEntire et al). For the new Gastr duo, a world of new directions in music awaited, the future became the past, and the music of Gastr del Sol emerged from the thin air, then returned there.

Now, ‘The Serpentine Similar’ has been returned to vinyl from the temporal streams of contemporary music listening, a glorious rematerializing of all its spatial details and available to independent retailers on LP for the first time in 20 years.

TRACK LISTING

A Watery Kentucky
Easy Company
A Jar Of Fat
Ursus Arctos Wonderfilis
Eye Street
For Soren Mueller
Serpentine Orbit
Even The Odd Orbit

The PS7 label continues to impress a year after first launching with more soul-drenched sounds and lazy grooves. P Sol is again the NYC beat maker behind this 7" which kicks off with the deep, laid back swing of 'Trust'. A range of vocals, from backing tunes to r&b females and smoky males, all coalesce around a most organic groove with hooky pads. 'Harlem World (7" Edit)' then has even more of a noodling funk bassline and deconstructed, slow motion groove full of hip-hop style conscious lyrics and serene string sweeps. Two real heart warmers which will likely sell out, just like all previous releases.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A silky smooth duo of finely produced disco / R&B grooves and echoing vocal loops, recalling the glory days of NYC disco with a production aesthetic that's right up to date.

TRACK LISTING

Trust
Harlem World (7" Edit)

Drag City present an awesome new vinyl pressing of Gastr del Sol’s ‘Upgrade & Afterlife’, just in time for its 29th anniversary.

Way back when, ‘Upgrade & Afterlife’ was the umpteenth release from the individual and collective forces of David Grubbs (known then for Bastro, The Red Krayola, Codeine, Squirrel Bait) and Jim O’Rourke, whose further history has since numbered at least another umpteen or so essential listens.

As part of its time-traveling function, ‘Upgrade & Afterlife’ is a return to roots, but not always necessarily Gastr’s. They were more than happy to stand on branches up above other folks in order to see any next thing worth leaping for.

Opening at their most incandescently impressionistic, ‘Our Exquisite Replica of “Eternity”’ has no precedent in the Gastrlog, and few in most others, either. ‘Rebecca Sylvester’ uses vocal harmonies to sharpen their singular, gamelan tone poem song form into something resembling a pop reverie at the finish. With undeniable (albeit oblique) comedy, ‘The Sea Incertain’ comments upon Crookt, Crackt, or Fly’s ‘The C in Cake’, with the presence of cracked electronics here and elsewhere taking a more forward position.

The stentorian chamber piano sound introduced on ‘Mirror Repair’ is still in full effect throughout ‘Upgrade & Afterlife’, but the bluesy rattling of finger style acoustic has the last word, with a tranced-out reading of John Fahey’s version of ‘Dry Bones In The Valley’, weaving guitar, piano and Tony Conrad’s trademark droning violin together to close the proceedings with an ingenious, slow-acting bang.

In addition to Tony Conrad, Gastr del Sol drew upon a memorable spectrum of players for the sounds of ‘Upgrade & Afterlife’, including Anthony Burr, Steve Braack, Gene Coleman, Mats Gustafsson, Terri Kapsalis, John McEntire, Günter Müller, Jerry Ruthrauff, Ralf Wehowsky and Sue Wolf. When issued, this combination of players, parts and play - packaged in an impressively broad tip-on Stoughton gatefold sleeve emblazoned with Roman Signer’s instantly iconic ‘Wasserstiefel’ image - became the fastest-moving Gastr del Sol record to date.

A delightful result, to our way of thinking, of the band’s ability to push at the far boundaries of their music while consolidating upon pleasure points within sounds and songs. Gastr used these polarities to compulsively draw the listener intimately close with sudden injections of g-force and an uncanny interpolation of space.

TRACK LISTING

Our Exquisite Replica Of “Eternity”
Rebecca Sylvester
The Sea Incertain
Hello Spiral
The Relay
Crappie Tactics
Dry Bones In The Valley (I Saw The Light Come Shining ‘Round And ‘Round)

Detroit mainstay John Beltran is back to present Sol Set having already impressed with their Ola de Novo album. This summery and soul-drenched outing opens with the florid flutes and shimmering rhythms of 'Through Fire' before a wonderful cover of Sade's 'War of the Hearts' with Taylor Taylor on vocals brings tropical percussive delights. South African house vocalist Earl Green brings expressive soul style to the feel good 'Love Revolution' while closer 'Maragogi' taps into an authentic Brazilian sound with feather drums and subtle samba shuffle.

TRACK LISTING

Through Fire
War Of The Hearts
Love Revolution
Maragogi

The roots of salsa in Japan trace back to Latin music pioneers such as Tadaaki Misago’s Tokyo Cuban Boys, who played mambo and rumba post-World War II. However, salsa truly took hold in Japan in the 1970s, catalyzed by the Fania All-Stars’ 1977 tour. Among those captivated was percussionist Masahito “Pecker” Hashida. Known for his reggae contributions through albums like “Pecker Power” and “Rasta Instantané Avec L’Effroyable Pecker,” Pecker’s influence expanded after experiencing the vibrant salsa scene in New York City in 1977. Upon his return to Japan, he spearheaded the creation of Orquesta Del Sol, marking the inception of the salsa genre in Japan.

Orquesta Del Sol’s popularity soared with performances that encompassed both covers and original pieces. The group’s rise was buoyed by Japanese session drummer Shuichi “Ponta” Murakami, whose participation in 1980 elevated their profile and led to a contract with Discomate, an arm of TBS Group. This label also featured artists like Toshiko Akiyoshi and Junko Yagami.

The band’s debut album, “Rainbow Love,” was co-produced by Ponta and released in 1981. Apart from a cover of “Rumbambola” by Noro Morales, the album features original compositions performed in Japanese, Spanish, and English. The album cover, illustrated by renowned graphic artist and salsa enthusiast Yosuke Kawamura, mirrored the band’s pioneering spirit.

Masashi Takahashi, a noted Japanese Latin music specialist, observes in the newly commissioned liner notes that Orquesta Del Sol reflects shades of New Music, a genre linked to city pop. Takahashi notes that the musicians, deeply embedded in Tokyo’s vibrant studio scene, naturally gravitated towards creating a uniquely Japanese salsa sound. This sound, heavily inspired by Nuyorican salsa, has endured over the decades, warranting a worldwide reissue.

The reissue of “Rainbow Love” marks its first worldwide release on vinyl and digital formats, supplemented by seven bonus tracks previously only available on a CD reissue named “Legend Vol. 1” from the band’s label, Uno Music, in 2000.

The band recorded these tracks some time after the release of their second album, Harajuku Live in the early 80s when they were offered album deals from many record companies. Four of the tracks were covers of songs of some of the favorite salsa artists of the band members that they performed at the time when they first started.

Juan Pachanga is a cover of Fania All-Stars included in the album Rhythm Machine, Campanero is a cover of José Mangual Jr. included in the album Tribute To Chano Pozo, Yo Soy La Rumba is a cover of Machito & His Orchestra included in their album Yo Soy La Rumba! and Duerme is a cover of the band Libre included in the album Con Salsa..Con Ritmo Vol. 2- Tiene Calidad.

All tracks have been remastered, with the original Japanese liner notes now available in English and accompanied by Takahashi’s new insights.

The timing of this release dovetails with the growing global interest in historic Japanese music, spotlighting the origins of salsa in Japan. Orquesta Del Sol, whose former members later formed the Grammy-nominated group Orquesta De La Luz, have continued to influence the genre significantly. Their debut album remains a cornerstone, inviting new listeners to experience the innovative fusion of Latin sounds nurtured in Japan.

TRACK LISTING

Disc: 1
1. Rainbow Love
2. One More Kiss Again
3. Que Alegria
4. Mundo Cruel
5. Night Ripple
6. Get-A-Odyssey
7. Rumbabola
8. Dawn

Disc: 2
1. Luna De Miel
2. Campanero
3. Yo Soy La Rumba
4. Dame Un Beso
5. Duerma
6. Drizzling Rain
7. Juan Pachanga

For this edition we reissued two tracks from Celia's awesome, sought after, second self-titled LP from 1972. 'Na Boca Do Sol' was written and arranged by Arthur Verocai and Vitor Martins, the original of which appeared on Verocai's brilliant self- titled album. Fuzz guitar, drums, strings and Celia's vocal combine to create an epic Brazilian masterstroke.

On the B side 'A Hora e Essa' is the first track from the Celia's second self-titled LP. A lively samba- funk workout, doused in jazzy piano licks, strutting guitars and punchy horns. These two classics were also given a 7" pressing in 1972 on Continental, which is very difficult to get hold of now.

TRACK LISTING

Na Boca Do Sol A Hora E Essa

New York producer P-Sol has hit on a super effective formula for starting the party, stitching together a selection of familiar samples and hooks, adding some beautifully dusty breaks and adding a final sheen of shiny production skills. Both sides of this 7" have a touch of raw 'two turntables' action about them, while remaining impeccably constructed and tight, with the A-side 'This Way' proving to be the slightly speedier and slightly more funk/r&b-flavoured, while 'Breathe & Stop (Abstract Blend)' is the one for the pure hip-hop heads. Both, however, are dynamite in the box, needless to say.

TRACK LISTING

This Way
Breathe & Stop" (Abstract Blend)

Sol Power Sound returns with an EP of two blistering (and rare) island disco cuts remixed by Bosq and the Sol Power All-Stars that will make you forget that summer has come to a close. Officially licensed from the estate of Nappy Mayers, who wrote and produced both originals, both tracks capture Nappy’s exquisite sound that dominated the Trinidadian discotheques in the late 1970s and early 1980s but never received the international acclaim they deserved.Bosq, a long-time friend of the label, leads things off on the A-side with his fiery dance floor flip of Nadie La Fond’s “Three Way Situation.” In his classic yet understated style, Bosq adds just enough, enhancing the captivating groove, while preserving the true essence and of the original. Using both vocal and dub parts Bosq turns up the funk and transforms the tune into a blistering modern disco cut that works equally well on the beach, in a dark club, or at your favorite underground afterhours.On B1, the Sol Power All-Stars present an extended disco dub of the 1980 Nappy Mayers tune “Let Yourself Go.” The Sol Power crew opts to work with the b-side version of the original, which bypasses the lead vocal and instead focuses on the synth-bass led groove, an unforgettable chorus, and powerful disco horns. Toss in some chopped up flute, guitars, and synth and you’ve got yourself a party. And did we mention drums and perc? Don’t miss the massive soca break that will take you straight to a carnival jam in the islands.Alongside remastered extended 12” versions of both original vocal cuts, Trini Disco Dubs highlights the genius of Nappy Mayers, a legendary Caribbean songwriter, producer, and performer, through the lens of modern producers who are at the top of their game.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Nadie La Fond - Three Way Situation (Bosq Disco Special)
A2. Nadie La Fond - Three Way Situation (12" Version)
B1. Nappy Mayers - Let Yourself Go (Sol Power All-Stars Disco Dub)
B2. Nappy Mayers - Let Yourself Go (12" Version)

Like a bolt echoing back from the blue, We Have Dozens of Titles restrikes the iron of Gastr del Sol, plunging the listener (that’s us!) back into the maelstrom of their all-too-brief (-but-ultimately-long-enough-to-change-everything-incisively) passage of 1993-1998 via an assembly of previously uncollected studio recordings and beautifully captured unreleased live material.

Gastr del Sol’s music was of the transformative variety – or was it transfiguration they were up to? Or transmigration? Flux was key, to be sure. David Grubbs formed Gastr from the final lineup of Bastro; on Gastr’s del Sol’s debut, The Serpentine Similar, Grubbs, Bundy K. Brown and John McEntire downshifted from a thrashing electric outfit into a droning, acoustic-based one. Following this, the lineup shifted again, decisively – Brown and McEntire departed to focus on the project to be known as Tortoise, and Jim O’Rourke arrived, pairing with Grubbs to make a sequence of unpredictable leaps across genre and practical approach alike, over three LPs and a pair of EPs that threatened the passage of musical time as we knew it in the mid-90s.

We Have Dozens of Titles contains nearly an hour of previously unreleased live recordings, alongside another near-hour of studio recordings culled from previously uncollected singles, EPs, and compilations. At long last, vinyl purchasers will hear the full range of “The Harp Factory on Lake Street”, “Dead Cats in a Foghorn”, “Quietly Approaching” and “The Bells of St. Mary’s” for the first time EVER on vinyl – all of it, live and studio alike, lovingly mastered and remastered by Jim O’Rourke, and packaged in a three LP box set with a wicked Roman Signer image on its removable lid, interior printing on the box bottom and inner sleeves for each LP with performance credits for all the songs.

As much as Gastr del Sol’s albums showcase a group eminently at home in the studio, they were inclined to thoroughly reinvent their compositions in performance. While reviewing live tapes for this compilation, the studio versions of most things felt more and more definitive, with the exception of the live takes included here, which essay startling new qualities in pieces that have been in the public ear for several decades.

The majority of these live performances come from a miraculous find in the CBC archive – a broadcast-quality recording of Jim and David from the 1997 Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville. This was the last time they performed together as Gastr del Sol, during which several still-gestating Camoufleur pieces were presented in radically different forms and Jim played organ on a track from David’s first solo album, the concert-closing, band closing (and now album-closing) version of "Onion Orange”.

The studio recordings included were originally released by the Red Hot Organization, God Mountain, Table of the Elements, Sony Japan, Teenbeat and Drag City. Studios utilized in the making of the material were Idful Music Corporation, Kingsize Soundlab and steamroom. The extended company of players on these numbers includes Jeb Bishop, Bundy K. Brown, Steve Butters, Gene Coleman, Thymme Jones, Terri Kapsalis, John McEntire, Günter Müller, Bob Weston and Sue Wolf – a virtual “what’s who wha'?!?” of Chicago’s hothouse scene in those times.

We Have Dozens of Titles revisits the slow-burning incendiaries of Gastr del Sol, finding, once again and after so much time elapsed, another, further set of reinventions from a group who continues to change the way we hear music.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Seasons Reverse (live)
2. Quietly Approaching
3. Ursus Arctos Wonderfilis (live)
4. At Night And At Night
5. Dead Cats In A Foghorn
6. The Japanese Room At La Pagode
7. The Bells Of St. Mary’s
8. Blues Subtitled No Sense Of Wonder (live)
9. 20 Songs Less
10. Dictionary Of Handwriting (live)
11. The Harp Factory On Lake Street
12. Onion Orange (live)

Heaven is the follow up to Cleo Sol's second album, Mother, which was released in 2021. In celebration of its two-year anniversary, she tweeted: "Two years since we released mother into the world, thank you for embracing me, and seeing me, writing my truth is sometimes difficult, but it’s freeing, and having you support me pushes me to be brave."

Thought to be the primary vocalist for the mysterious collective SAULT, Cleo Sol primarily collaborates with producer Inflo. Earlier this year, during London Fashion Week, she joined Alicia Keys as a special guests alongside Little Simz, and performed Simz's track, "Woman".

TRACK LISTING

1. Self
2. Airplane
3. Go Baby
4. Heaven
5. Old Friends
6. Miss Romantic
7. Golden Child (Jealous)
8. Nothing On Me
9. Love Will Lead You

The fourth Cleo Sol masterpiece and the second album of 2024. Gold is another spiritual and soulful masterclass full of love, courage and optimism.

TRACK LISTING

1. There Will Be No Crying
2. Reason
3. Things Will Get Better
4. Only Love
5. Please Don’t End It All
6. Lost Angel
7. Desire
8. In Your Own Home
9. Life Will Be
10. Gold

RIYL: Grouper, Mabe Fratti, Eartheater, HTRK, Julee Cruise, Julia Holter, Ana Roxanne, Carla dal Forno, James K, Ydegirl.

In the chaos of our every day, it can be difficult to find time for pause. Knee-jerk reactions have become the norm, while the instantaneous fog clouding our culture urges us to move along, to step away from the present moment. Mexico City-based songwriter and instrumentalist Estrella del Sol wanted to craft a space where there is finally room to breathe, and time to arrange the patchwork of our reality. On new album Figura de Cristal, she encourages fragility, and celebrates the delicacy of our ever-evolving selves.

Estrella del Sol is known for her work in shoegaze band Mint Field, hailed for their tender exploration of sentimentality and grief. While Mint Field propel their themes with oozing, amplified guitars and commanding vocals, del Sol’s solo work blossoms in a quieter, more electronic space. “I wanted to experiment more with my vocals and mainly synth sounds, always trying to find a different sound,” she explains. The result is a patient and nurturing collection of songs that remind us of the importance in taking our time.

Her first solo album, Un espacio de lo imaginario, released in 2020 and recorded in the first two months of the pandemic, introduced del Sol’s ethereal side. Expansive vocal dynamics dance carefully through gentle melodic structures, showcasing the intimacy of del Sol’s solo arrangements. Figura de Cristal builds upon this intimacy, adding a blanket of subdued yet glittering drones, haunting electric guitars and celestial vocal textures. It was written, recorded and produced entirely by Estrella del Sol at her home in Mexico City, with cello contributions by experimental composer and personal friend Mabe Fratti and mixed by Mint Field bassist Sebastian Neyra.

The album includes field recordings of Estrella del Sol’s surroundings, namely her neighborhood in Mexico City. By including these miniature portraits of her reality, Figura de Cristal acts as a kaleidoscopic interrogation into what it means to be alive, and how others figure into the images we create for ourselves. By using the recordings, del Sol says “the album could feel familiar to my reality at that particular moment.” Enmeshing them into the album’s ambient arrangements, Figura de Cristal threads together the familiar and the fantastical. It’s a reminder of the coexistence of multiple realities.

When making the LP, Estrella del Sol wanted to create a soundtrack that could replicate the calming notion of a sunset-stroked evening, or the pink tones of a quiet morning. The title track, “Figura de Cristal,” replicates the grace of these moments, teaching us to lend ourselves that same grace and gentleness, even during the most difficult days. “This album became a reminder to me that I have to take care of myself and that If I don't, I can break like a crystal figure,” she explains. “I have to learn to empathize with myself and the people surrounding me. That everyone's perspective of reality is different and there's no true answer.”

Figura de Cristal is an album about curiosity, and the merit in embracing our vulnerabilities. There is not one single reality, or experience, but instead an infinite range of truths. Through improvisational techniques and dynamically droney sonic textures, Estrella del Sol asserts the joy in following your instincts, rather than following the rules. Figura de Cristal rids itself of rigid structure or certain form, bending to a liminal space that declares joy in the unknown, and an exhale in the unfamiliar.

TRACK LISTING

1. Ver A Través De Tus Ojos
2. Tangible
3. Figura De Cristal
4. No Existe Respuesta
5. Adentro De Mis Sábanas
6. Corriente De Agua
7. Sólo Yo Puedo Cuidarte
8. Suspendidos
9. Acompáñame

Back in January, Cleo Sol emerged from her winter cocoon with a stirring acoustic ballad entitled "Butterfly." We suspected that a new project would follow, and the London singer-songwriter has delivered exactly what we were hoping for with her new album Rose In The Dark. Comprised of 11 tracks stitched with threads of '70s jazz and '90s neo-soul, Cleo offers the soothing calm that we need in these chaotic times.

Rose In The Dark opens with the harmonic mantra "One Love" before the jazzy bass line and drum knocks of "Why Don't You" entice us to settle in for a cozy listen. With dulcet horns and doo-wop vocals, the reggae-tinged "Young Love" is a whole mood. Meanwhile, "Rewind" and title track "Rose In The Dark" are steeped in nostalgic overtones. Cleo then proceeds to hypnotize the listener in two different ways – with the seductive sultriness of "When I'm in Your Arms" and the heartfelt devotion of "Sideways."

"Butterfly" passes the acoustic baton to the album's next two tracks – "Sure of Myself," a down-tempo ballad with lush harmonies, and "I Love You," an aching, Rhodes-driven tune that seamlessly segues from sparse to layered composition. The vintage jazz-soul vibes of closing track "Her Light" deliver a cinematic finale to this incredible selection of authentic soul music.

It's hard to believe Cleo had doubts about releasing the project. In a transparent post, she admits, "I've been going back and forth with whether there will be a right time to release music this year, as I always go with trusting my heart and it hasn't felt quite right." She continues, "But this is bigger than me, and I always have to remind myself I'm simply a vessel...so my album is here for u to listen to, to uplift you, move you or be your backing track vibes whilst we are all moving through this moment."

TRACK LISTING

1. One Love 01:19
2. Why Don't You 03:48
3. Young Love 04:24
4. Rewind 02:23
5. Rose In The Dark 03:46
6. When I'm In Your Arms 05:35
7. Sideways 03:12
8. Butterfly 03:19
9. Sure Of Myself 03:38
10. I Love You 02:57
11. Her Light 04:04

‘Sol Invictus’, Faith No More’s highly anticipated follow-up to ‘Album Of The Year’, arrives via Reclamation Recordings / Ipecac Recordings.

‘Sol Invictus’ is the band’s first new album in 18 years.

‘Sol Invictus’ was produced by Bill Gould and recorded in the band’s Oakland, California studio.

Faith No More have influenced bands of all genres, including System Of A Down, Incubus, Muse and more.

The single ‘Motherf*cker’ heralded the arrival of the album and was followed by ‘Superhero’. Both songs feature on the album along with eight other brand new tracks.

TRACK LISTING

Sol Invictus
Superhero
Sunny Side Up
Separation Anxiety
Cone Of Shame
Rise Of The Fall
Black Friday
Motherf*cker
Matador
From The Dead

Gastr Del Sol emerged from the remains of Bastro in 1992 with the brooding, mostly drumless album, ‘The Serpentine Similar’. This represented an unlikely evolution from the fury of Bastro, but evolution was only getting started - and ‘unlikely’ was one of the ongoing principles in Gastr Del Sol’s approach. Before the sessions for the second album, Bundy Brown left the group and David Grubbs asked Jim O’Rourke to come play. 1994’s ‘Crookt, Crackt Or Fly’ tangled the clean lines of the original band in the writing, playing and editing of the music. This was all very fascinating, but it wasn’t until the five songs of ‘Mirror Repair’ that the compelling space of Gastr Del Sol could be fully perceived.

‘Mirror Repair’ was rife with guitar interplay, but Gastr coloured the palette with piano, drums and a sudden and rattling variety of woodwinds, all evoking the obsessive pull of a deep-seeded conviction, an insistent image that one cannot forget in a dense atmosphere with riffs patterning over each other and fading into landscape. The quieting of Gastr Del Sol had been dialling down since the start; here the silences were as essential a part of the sound as the sound was. In a fast five song mini album, length and depth were impossibly extended as part of the many moods of Gastr Del Sol. Albert Oehlen’s cover art provided a perfect counterpart to the sounds within, providing also a shout out to The Red Krayola, where David and Albert met during their mutual involvement with Mayo Thompson.

The best in this vein was yet to come - but with ‘Mirror Repair’, Gastr had made something definitive. Now, the bold sounds of nearly twenty years ago are back in the groove, freshly cut for 21st ears to hear. You need ‘Mirror Repair’.