Various Artists:
For The Love Of You
Athens of the North
The Athens of the North reissue label always takes you down a new wormhole, finds the sweet spot, opens the door, mixes the metaphor and spins your head with its lush simplicity; its super cool, super sweet ideas.
So try this one! A compilation of funk, soul, disco, R’n’B and pop songs all presented in the Lovers Rock style. We’re talking covers of songs written by Leon Ware, Prince, Archie Bell, The Isley Brothers but served up here by people like Michael Gordon, Peter Hunningale, Al Charles and Misses Misty.
This is a late night soul-drenched reggae cruise through some old funky R’n’B staples. Mtume’s Juicy Fruit – in all its sticky, filthy glory – now has some extra sugar thanks to the bouncing but innocent glide of Christine Lewin’s version.
Prince’s all-timer sexual awakening ballad Do Me Baby is set to a low-energy simmer by Family Love.
The Gap Band’s swaggering Outstanding is calmed down into a low-key but still funky gem thanks to Al Charles.
This is like one of those great outsider compilations – you put this on to chill to and anyone visiting is asking about every second artist or fumbling to reinstall the Shazam app.
Lovers Rock is one of the most accessible of the sub-strains under the wider reggae umbrella and here we have some modern funk/soul classics lovingly reworked. This really rocks.
You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron