Here you find our WEST COAST SOUL album reviews of the past and present – always subjective, but full of respect for the music and artists. Let’s talk about records!
REVIEW: BETWEEN HEAT AND HEART – ON THEIR NEW ALBUM 79.5 CELEBRATE NEW YORK CLUB SOUND IN ALL ITS FACETS
79.5 describe themselves as “the sound of New York City” – and they don’t exaggerate, especially when it comes to the sound of dark R’n’B and disco clubs in Brooklyn, where longing, ecstasy and breakdown are celebrated every night. On their now released sophomore album, the Brooklyn-based band captures all these emotional states in great songs that oscillate between 70’s underground disco, electro boogie, acid jazz and sugary sweet pop – somewhere between the cool funkiness of the Universal Togetherness Band and the catchiness of the Scissor Sisters.
REVIEW: THE EVERETTES CELEBRATE THE CLASSIC MOTOWN SOUND ON THEIR NEW ALBUM “SOUL STEPS”
With their second album “Soul Steps”, the Berlin and San Diego based soul outfit The Everettes follow in the footsteps of their musical idols and catapult the classic sound of Motown, Stax and Northern Soul into the 21st century with a lot of finesse and dedication. Anyone who can sit still while listening to these stirring soul stompers is beyond help. “Soul Steps” is definitely a must-have for the upcoming Northern Soul party.
REVIEW: EMM GRYNER HEADS FOR THE SUNNY SHORES OF YACHT ROCK WITH HER NEW ALBUM “BUSINESS & PLEASURE”
When a music professional like Canadian singer-songwriter Emm Gryner sets out to record a tribute to the L.A. sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s, she doesn’t do things by halves. On her new album ‘Business & Pleasure’, the artist gathers session musicians from the golden age and, with the help of producer Fred Mollin, transfers the mellow sound of the past into the 2020s. The result is a varied album that will not only please lovers of classic yacht rock.
Overview about all our reviews
Review: “Popsicle Toes” by the Buster Brown Band - Named after a cartoon character, the Buster Brown Band from Texas evolved in the 70s and early 80s from a classic blues rock band into one of Dallas' hottest blue-eyed soul and funk outfits. Unfortunately, a planned album never materialised at the time and numerous demos disappeared into the archives. Thanks to the Parisian label Providenciales Records, these songs oscillating between funk, blue-eyed soul and West Coast AOR have now finally been officially released on "Popsicle Toes". West Coast music aficionados who love bands and artists like Pages, Earth, Wind & Fire, Eric Tagg or LeBlanc And Carr should definitely give it a listen.
Between heat and heart – on their new album 79.5 celebrate New York club sound in all its facets - 79.5 describe themselves as "the sound of New York City" - and they don't exaggerate, especially when it comes to the sound of dark R'n'B and disco clubs in Brooklyn, where longing, ecstasy and breakdown are celebrated every night. On their now released sophomore album, the Brooklyn-based band captures all these emotional states in great songs that oscillate between 70's underground disco, electro boogie, acid jazz and sugary sweet pop - somewhere between the cool funkiness of the Universal Togetherness Band and the catchiness of the Scissor Sisters.
The Everettes celebrate the classic Motown sound on their new album “Soul Steps” - With their second album "Soul Steps", the Berlin and San Diego based soul outfit The Everettes follow in the footsteps of their musical idols and catapult the classic sound of Motown, Stax and Northern Soul into the 21st century with a lot of finesse and dedication. Anyone who can sit still while listening to these stirring soul stompers is beyond help. "Soul Steps" is definitely a must-have for the upcoming Northern Soul party.
Emm Gryner heads for the sunny shores of yacht rock with her new album ‘Business & Pleasure’ - When a music professional like Canadian singer-songwriter Emm Gryner sets out to record a tribute to the L.A. sound of the late '70s and early '80s, she doesn't do things by halves. On her new album 'Business & Pleasure', the artist gathers session musicians from the golden age and, with the help of producer Fred Mollin, transfers the mellow sound of the past into the 2020s. The result is a varied album that will not only please lovers of classic yacht rock.
West Coast Soul.de – Albums Of The Year 2022 - The year is coming to an end and it was again a year of great new releases and discoveries. Of course, it was and is always impossible to limit a year to just ten albums, but the following records have left a lasting impression on us and accompanied us through the last months. It's time to honour the best albums of the year: Here is the West Coast Soul.de Top 10 of 2022!
The Zenmenn and John Moods combine West Coast AOR and Ambient on their new album “Hidden Gem” - For their second album "Hidden Gem", German band The Zenmenn teamed up with singer-songwriter John Moods to magnificently fuse sun-drenched, laid-back yacht rock harmonies with atmospheric ambient landscapes into a kind of cosmic West Coast AOR. 
Album Review: Lee Fields explores the depths of the human soul on his new album “Sentimental Fool” - It has taken over 20 years, now finally the legendary American soul singer Lee Fields has released his first album on the New York Daptone Records label. With the support of label founder Gabriel Roth and the best musicians Daptone has to offer, the 72-year-old singer explores the essence of pure, true emotion on "Sentimental Fool" and impressively demonstrates his mastery. Soul music can't get much deeper than this.
On “hallo 22” Max Herre and Dexter celebrate the funk music of the GDR - In the midst of the Cold War, when the Iron Curtain divided Europe, a music scene flourished in East Germany in the 1970s that, under the strict eyes of the SED regime, turned influences from the "class enemy" such as soul, funk and psychedelic rock into something unique. For the compilation "hallo 22 - DDR Funk und Soul 1971-81", German hip-hop veterans Max Herre and Felix "Dexter" Göppel joined forces to search the archives of the East German label Amiga for musical treasures from this period. What they found is a testimony to the great musicality, creativity and hope of these artists.
Concert review: Young Gun Silver Fox in Hengelo - There are concerts and there are Young Gun Silver Fox shows. We had to wait a long time to finally see Andy Platts and Shawn Lee live again. The buzzkill Covid had put a spanner in the works of the tour for their third album "Canyons". Now, finally, they were back where they belong: in the spotlight, in front of an enthusiastic audience. 
Review: “Get On The Otherside” by Bobby Oroza - On his second album "Get On The Otherside", now released on Big Crown Records, Finnish soul singer Bobby Oroza succeeds in transcending the personal existential crises of the past COVID years into forward-looking, positive messages, which he packs into marvellous analogue, atmospheric soul deeply rooted in the 70s. With this record, Oroza releases one of the most beautiful soul albums of the year with a clear message that never gets old: all you really need is love.
Review: “You Do It Cause You Love It” by Goldstoned - After nine years, Patrick Goldstein aka Goldstoned finally returns with a new album. On "You Do It Cause You Love It", the Berlin-based artist blends Burt Bacharach with 80s-inspired British indie pop and Northern soul with such sophistication and connoisseurship that it's a joy. A treasure trove of an album - not just for initiated pop aficionados.
The Five West Coast Classics of the month – December 2021 - Once a month we take a look back at the classics and rather unknown album highlights of West Coast music from the 70s and 80s. Join WEST COAST SOUL on a foray through our record collection and travel with us back into the past.
Albums of the Year 2021 - The year 2021 is drawing to a close and it was again a year of great new releases and rediscoveries. Of course it was and is always impossible to limit a year to just ten albums, but the following records have left a lasting impression on us and have accompanied us through these difficult times. It is time to honour the best albums of the year: Here is the West Coast Soul.de Top 10 of 2021!- The Five West Coast Classics of the month – November 2021 - Once a month we take a look back at the classics and rather unknown album highlights of West Coast music from the 70s and 80s. Join WEST COAST SOUL on a foray through our record collection and travel with us back into the past.
Review: “An Evening with Silk Sonic” by Silk Sonic - As Silk Sonic, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak resurrect the symphonic soul of the 70s with finesse and passion and take us into a world of analogue emotions. Their just released debut album "An Evening with Silk Sonic" offers with its plush feel-good sound and perfectionist timelessness a safe haven in troubled COVID times and opens up a great era of music history for a new generation of music lovers. Definitely one of the albums of the year!
Review: “If Words Were Flowers” by Curtis Harding - On his third album "If Words Were Flowers", Atlanta-based soul artist Curtis Harding once again skilfully blends classic soul and R&B influences with elements of hip-hop and psychedelia, but also expands his sound with jazzy nuances, experimental arrangements and the emotional power of gospel. The result is a stirring plea for love and humanity in chaotic times and one of the most beautiful soul albums of the year coming to an end.
The five West Coast Classics of the month – August 2021 - Once a month we take a look back at the classics and rather unknown album highlights of West Coast music from the 70s and 80s. Join WEST COAST SOUL on a foray through our record collection and travel with us back into the past.
Review: “Sgt Culpepper” by Joel Culpepper - With his unique voice and energetic blend of modern soul and funk, Joel Culpepper has been one of the hottest acts on the British R&B scene for years. On his debut album "Sgt Culpepper", the singer-songwriter from South East London, with a little help from friends like Swindle, Tom Misch and Shawn Lee, realises his vision of retro-modern soul music and sets a new standard for British R&B. Definitely one of the most exciting albums of the year. 
Review: “For Free” by David Crosby - On his new album "For Free", David Crosby revives his legendary musicality shortly before his 80th birthday and, with the support of artists such as Michael McDonald, Donald Fagen from Steely Dan and Sarah Jarosz, creates an almost transcendent painting of Californian music between poetry, prayer and classic folk-rock harmonies.- The Five West Coast Classics of the month – July 2021 - Once a month we take a look back at the classics and rather unknown album highlights of West Coast music from the 70s and 80s. Join WEST COAST SOUL on a foray through our record collection and travel with us back into the past.
Review: “Septet” by John Carroll Kirby - With "Septet", LA-based producer, pianist and composer John Carroll Kirby has released a jazz album that seems to have fallen out of time, full of warm grooves and spiritual jazz funk schooled in Herbie Hancock, George Duke and Weather Report. Everything sounds relaxed, warm and playful. One of the most beautiful jazz releases of the year.
Review: “Peace or Love” by Kings of Convenience - Twelve years after "Declaration of Dependence", the Norwegian duo Kings of Convenience are suddenly back and with "Peace Or Love" they manage to seamlessly continue the quality of their previous albums - sophisticated indie pop for the dawning summer.- The Five West Coast Classics of the month – June 2021 - Once a month we take a look back at the classics and rather unknown album highlights of West Coast music from the 70s and 80s. Join WEST COAST SOUL on a foray through our record collection and travel with us back into the past.
Review: Musique de Yacht – Garçon de Plage celebrates his love of West Coast pop with his new album “Amour Aveugle” - Even the name that the talented Parisian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Greg Bette has chosen for his project - Garçon de Plage, the French term for "beach boy" - gives an idea of the music that influenced his work. And so it comes as no surprise that his second album "Amour Aveugle" is all about West Coast harmonies, sophisticated arrangements and French pop grandezza, in other words, smooth yacht pop à la France - somewhere between Michel Berger and The Doobie Brothers. - The Five West Coast Classics of the month – May 2021 - Once a month we take a look back at the classics and rather unknown album highlights of West Coast music from the 70s and 80s. Join WEST COAST SOUL on a foray through our record collection and travel with us back into the past.
Review: RAM ON – The 50th Anniversary Tribute to Paul & Linda McCartney’s RAM - To mark this year's 50th anniversary of RAM by Paul & Linda McCartney, over 100 musicians have come together under the direction of Denny Seiwell, the original drummer of Paul McCartney & Wings, and multi-instrumentalist and producer Fernando Perdomo to re-record this seminal album. The result is "RAM ON", a generation-spanning labour of love that meticulously recreates the original and impresses with its attention to detail and great musicanship.- The Five West Coast Classics of the month – April 2021 - Once a month we take a look back at the classics and rather unknown album highlights of West Coast music from the 70s and 80s. Join WEST COAST SOUL on a foray through our record collection and travel with us back into the past.
- The Five West Coast Classics of the month – March 2021 - Once a month we take a look back at the classics and rather unknown album highlights of West Coast music from the 70s and 80s. Join WEST COAST SOUL on a foray through our record collection and travel with us back into the past.
Soul, Funk and R&B classics from the vaults – February 2021 - Once a month we open the vaults of the WEST COAST SOUL record collection and take a look back at the classics of Soul, R&B and Funk from the 70s and 80s. Join us on a foray through a golden era of music history. 
“Discodor” by Discodor - After two excellent EPs, Anglo-French duo Discodor finally released their wonderful eponymous debut album last month, full of lush arrangements, cinematic grooves, and slow funk that oscillates between French lounge plushness, library music sophistication, and hip, swinging 60s soundtrack grandeur. An album in cinemascope.
Review: “The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band” by Menahan Street Band - After a nearly ten-year hiatus, the legendary instrumental soul group Menahan Street Band will release their third album “The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band” on February 26th, via Daptone Records. The result is an album that you no longer expected, but now do not want to miss. Great cinematic instrumental soul-funk, with which the musical collective from Brooklyn seamlessly connects to old great deeds. Definitely one of the soul albums of the year.
“Mid-Century Modern Romance” by Dante Elephante - A homage to the disco boogie jams of the early 80s - funky and smooth
Album Review: “Magic Mirror” by Pearl Charles - With "Magic Mirror", LA native singer-songwriter Pearl Charles has released her second album and takes her listeners into a musical wonderland, where the 29-year-old lives out her preferences for ABBA melodies, Laurel Canyon hippie dreaminess, sun-warmed West Coast soft rock and 70's country-folk bliss. All this sounds very vintage, but never loses its current pop appeal. Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty would love this album.
“One Step Closer” by The Doobie Brothers - When "One Step Closer" was released in 1980, critics and many fans declared the Doobie Brothers' ninth release the worst album of their career. And it was true that the Doobies were never further away from their biker boogie rock roots than at the beginning of the 80s. 
“West End Coast” by Young Gun Silver Fox - In 2015 the British singer, songwriter, producer, founder and bandleader of Mamas Gun, Andy Platts, and the American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and arranger, Shawn Lee, combined their talents, their love for melodic Californian soft rock of the late seventies and their penchant for catchy hooklines and rousing grooves on one album that nobody expected.
“Paradise Cove” by Misha Panfilov & Shawn Lee - London-based multi-instrumentalist, composer and "Silver Fox" Shawn Lee has long been known for his boundless musicality and versatility. After recently indulging his passion for West Coast music with Young Gun Silver Fox on the superb album "Canyons" and bowing to early 80's electro funk with "Shawn Lee's Incredible Leg Warmer Band", he has now teamed up with the energetic Estonian musician and producer Misha Panfilov to set the sails of creativity and cruise to the "Paradise Cove".
“Gaucho” by Steely Dan - Steely Dan's "Gaucho" is considered by many to be a megalomaniac work of two drug-fired perfectionists - and when you look at the facts, there seems to be a lot of truth in it. The album took two years to record, it devoured a thousand recording hours and over 40 studio musicians, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker spent $ 100,000 extra for the innovative processing of the drum beats - and all that for an album length of only thirty-seven minutes. If they hadn't runout of money, who knows how long they would have worked on it.
“It Is What It Is” by Thundercat - "It Is What It Is" is probably the album I listen to most at the moment. You follow Stephen Bruner alias Thundercat on his fourth album through grief, madness, teenage humour escapades and playfulness - and you get lost or rise up in this unique, complex jazz, fusion, funk, R&B, soft rock and manga cosmos, whose only constant is the musicality of this exceptional bassist.
“Hotel California” by The Eagles - "Hotel California" was the fifth album by The Eagles, released in 1976. Their biggest commercial success, with over 16 million albums sold in the USA alone, marked in some ways the swan song of the band and of an entire era.
“Yacht” by Fernando Perdomo - In times when we are unfortunately restricted worldwide in our freedom of movement, the new album "Yacht" by American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and producer Fernando Perdomo comes just in time to at least mentally carry us away to the palm-lined sunny beaches of California. 
“Ports of the Heart” by Jimmie Spheeris - "Ports of the Heart" by Jimmie Spheeris was originally released in 1976 and was the fourth and last album for Epic by the American singer songwriter with Greek roots.
“Straight From The Heart” by Patrice Rushen - The American jazz pianist, R&B singer, composer, producer and songwriter Patrice Rushen is a fixed star in the Jazz and R&B world for decades. One of my personal favorites is her 82's album "Straight From The Heart". 
“Rhythm of Life” by James Mason - James Mason was a member of Roy Ayers' legendary jazz-funk band of the late 70s. His most prominent appearance as a guitarist was in 1977 on Ayers' classic cut "Running Away". In the same year Mason recorded his debut solo album "Rhythm of Life" for the New York independent label Chiaroscuro.
“City Pop” by Benny Sings - Dutch pop artist Tim van Berkestijn, better known by his stage name Benny Sings, shows with his album "City Pop" from 2019 that he is deeply rooted in 70s West Coast pop and one of the most talented music exports of the Netherlands.
“The First Coming” by Twylyte ’81 - Favorite Recordings has been a guarantor for many years when it comes to releasing long lost soul, funk, jazz and West Coast gems. This February the French label released the first official and first-ever reissue of "The First Coming" by Twylyte '81.
“Shawn Lee’s Incredible Leg Warmer Band” by Shawn Lee - Légère Recordings has pressed 200 copies of the electro funk masterpiece "The 37 Minute Workout" by Shawn Lee's Incredible Leg Warmer Band. Let's get physical!
“The Tales People Tell” by Kelly Finnigan - With "The Tales People Tell" the American soul singer Kelly Finnigan has released one of the best soul albums of the past years in 2019. 
“The Nightfly” by Donald Fagen (1982) - While ex-bandmate Walter Becker tried to get clean in Hawaii, Donald Fagen and Steely Dan producer Gary Katz returned to the studio to record a ground-breaking masterpiece of the new decade. 
Backtracks: “Aja” by Steely Dan -
What makes an album to a classic? I think it’s a result of many ingredients. First of all the music: strong and memorable melodies, grooves and arrangements, real musicianship, the storyline of lyrics and an outstanding production. Not to forget a remarkable artwork. But real art arises from more: All great albums are surrounded by myths and stories (remember the Beach Boys' “Smile”), especially in pre-digital times when it was even more difficult to get information about artists and records. 
The Ladies Of Too Slow To Disco 2 - When Marcus Liesenfeld aka DJ Supermarkt released 'The Ladies Of Too Slow To Disco' in 2016, he not only created a long overdue monument to the female singers, musicians and songwriters who played a major role in shaping the sound of California in the 70s and 80s, but also compiled one of the most popular editions of the renowned series.