First of all, Happy New Year and a warm welcome to all our new members who joined over the holidays, or were gifted a subscription. It is always a joyful and positive experience to start a year with some new music, and we are feeling very positive for 2026 here at W&S towers.
We hope you enjoy the flow of musical experiences as we find and send them out over the months to come, and as always, if you have any feedback, or need anything from us, you can get a hold of the support team here:
[email protected].
Now, on to the vinyl. We thought we would start with another bonus month of two albums, with an interesting unifying theme.
January’s first album is the third long player from Louisian trio, Seratones. While their first album had one foot planted in garage rock territory and the other in bluesy soul, “Love and Algorhythms” is a much more soul-focused offering, and we think all the better for it. Vocalist A.J. Haynes’ voice is well showcased by a great, positive feeling selection of soulful numbers. Get ready for a disco, soulful funk and gospel tinged journey, with the headline single “Good Day” being a lovely positive tune to start the year with.
The second LP in this very Southern States-tinged box is from neighbouring state, Alabama & veteran blues/funk/soul band North Mississippi Allstars. Started in 1996 by brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson, their lineup has evolved many times throughout its thirty-odd years, produced a dozen albums & received Grammy nominations. With that history they must be doing something right!
This album, “Set Sail” contains songs that are varied in style and some are mysterious and intriguing,as is life in the Mississippi hill country, nested within a lesser-known Southern blues tradition. Blended with soul,gospel and funk, it gives us a different take on the styles explored in our first album. Let us know which you like best and why!
