Legendary ska/reggae chart-toppers The Dualers agree wholeheartedly, their new album ‘Voices From The Sun‘ (VFTS) representing a resplendent and worry-free late-summer outing that makes for a fine addition to the band’s acclaimed discography. For those unaware, the sound of The Dualers is the sound of a smile, of a lively BBQ on a sunset beach, of cold beers and warm laughter. It’s a palette that has earned the nine-piece a teaming mass of sun-loving followers and, in doing so, have lifted their brand of roots and blues to the forefront of the UK reggae scene. VFTS is by-and-large an extension of the band’s aforementioned success, they haven’t reinvented the wheel for the sake of evolution, but instead crafted 14 new reasons as to why this band is so special.

With nine members, the band’s sound is inherently dense. VFTS, like its predecessors, is a well-oiled machine and finds no trouble in giving each of its vital cogs the limelight. From the word go in opener Sunny Days, Tyber Cranstoun’s vocals are a gentle guide through the song’s brass accents and head-bobbing percussion, with the vocal harmonies giving the album’s intro a sweet hook for the mind to cling to. In a way that only The Dualers could, the album opens like a warm embrace. Further down the tracklist with highlights like Mr Penniless, Yippie I Ay and Johnny Dangerous, it’s a joy to just marvel at the record’s production. Bright, soulful and brimming with vibrant charisma, VFTS extracts the very best from what the band has to offer and turns the dial to 11.

While those may point and demand a grander sense of progress from album to album, the old adage of ‘if it ain’t broke’ speaks a great truth here. Necessity is the mother of all creation and, in this case, what need is there for The Dualers to depart from such a winning formula? VFTS is yet another triumphant product of the soul from one of the UK’s most culturally rich and universally beloved bands that can only be described as special.

Voices From The Sun drops August 12th, so mark your calendars!

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First up we have some intriguing post-pop from Pauline Andres. “Medicine Woman” is a trippy, atmospheric piece, with synth washes breaking against programmed beats and subtle guitars. It makes for a fine, hazy backdrop to Andres’ ghostly vocals. Fans of progressive, intelligent pop will want to check this, and her forthcoming album All Them Ghosts, out.

From Pauline Andres’ official bio: “Born in France, she grew up in a family of mainly Hungarian and Balkan descent by the Franco-German border in a town where the local dialect was more common than the official language. Caught between the fun of it all and the harsh personal and social truths that lead to such an environment, Andres started taking notes.”

Next, another fascinating project – Zar by JuJu Sounds.

“JuJu Sounds collates field recordings and stories about music from all corners of the globe – the peripheral music genres, rhythms and melodies accompanying everyday life, and the practices related to transcendental experiences, initiation and ritual. “

The art of field-recording has a long and distinguished history, responsible for capturing some of the greatest music from across the world. This release focuses on Zār, a “…possession cult practiced on the outskirts of the rapidly-modernising societies of North Africa and the Middle East.” The music is as spell-binding as you might expect.

You can pick this up via Bandcamp now, in digital, vinyl and CD form.

Thirdly, we have French fingerpicking-jazz guitar player Jean-Baptiste Hardy, who has two imminent album releases, Which Way, recording in trio format, and a solo effort, Confidences. Jean-Baptiste Hardy studied classical styles before tuning into the likes of Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed and Marcel Dadi.

Jean-Baptiste’s playing is exceptional, across a mixture of jazz and other styles, and both albums are well worth investigating. This is invigorating, fresh music which captures both the ear and the soul.

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JINJ are a class act, with high-production-value mini-films which are a treat to watch. More importantly, their music is fascinating. Contemporary beats and sounds brush up against traditional melodies and instruments in a wholly organic-sounding manner. The new video, “Cheat Code,” will be unveiled October 24th. Having had the privilege of an advance screening, I can say that it’s something worth looking out for.

In the meantime, you can view their other works here.

Also released this week, a new album by pianist, keyboardist and producer Công Minh Pham, who records as Matekita. Công has been playing since the age of seven, learning both classical and jazz styles. He embraces sonic experimentation and electronic sounds, sculpting his own, floating universe. Công’s latest record, And Then The Sun Rose In The West, available October 22nd, is a thrilling blend of fast, processed beats, live instrumentation and avant garde edges. Fans of progressive music will find plenty to savour.

Last, but not least, we have Promised Thing, the beautiful new album by talented talented finger-style guitarist, Nicolas Blampain. Blampain’s technique is astonishing and deceptively simple. There’s no showboating here, the guitarist paints lovingly-crafted, immersive pictures which can’t help but pull you in. Another who started young (aged 11), Blampain is a veteran of over 1500 concert appearances. Perhaps the most striking aspect of Promised Thing is how easy it is to forget that this is a solo album. The tracks here possess such width and depth that Blampain’s guitar offers an entire band’s worth of output.

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