Much is made just now of the supposed similarities between the ‘80s and the current time, based on who’s in government and some of the fashion mistakes now back on the high streets. Playing this album whilst musing on that will ably aid you in the pursuit of nostalgia for that decade.

Anything remotely funky or synth-driven from 30 years ago gets a look in here so you know you’re in for a resoundingly upbeat hour or so. Straight up pop-chart fillers mingle with seeming offcuts from the soundtracks of Prince films. All undeniably catchy and likely to have you clapping along or shimmying round the living room.

Scritti Politi, Duran Duran, Level 42 you name it – the major Radio 1/Smash Hits favourites from back then are all referenced at one point or another. Meaning of course that none are overly drawn upon thereby giving the album a freshness and personality all of its own. It’s not a lightweight, candy floss-like construction either – there’s a fair bit of depth on the moody 'Dear Skorpio Magazine' for example.

Had this been released a couple of months ago it would no doubt have rightly been being lauded as a major Summer party album. As it is it’ll need to take it’s chances in the colder months. It’s one of those you hear more in each time you play it and to be honest I was expecting it to utterly fail to reach me but have singularly been proved wrong in that regard. I blame growing up under Thatcher.

VEGA INTL. Night School is available from amazon and iTunes.

From The Deep are a duo comprised of Nick Marsh of Flesh For Lulu and Katharine Blake of Miranda Sex Garden. Whilst Marsh’s group were unknown to me other than by name, Blake’s were a favourite many years ago therefore an inkling of what to expect here existed prior to playing the album.

From The Deep was recorded over a number of years and completed prior to Marsh’s untimely death in June of this year. It is a fitting musical record of the couple’s life partnership and love for each other as well as a great example of the grittily sensual brand of music that is both artists’ stock in trade.

Other than the cover of Lee Hazlewood’s ‘Summer Wine’ (a song the original version of which I think it’s impossible to improve upon) this is an album which has the feeling of being conceptual, such is the overall feeling produced despite it containing a number of styles (a cappella, Appalachian swing, folk etc.). Like all good song cycles or stories it draws you in right from the opening bars of ‘The Lovers’. Whiffs of Weimar era cabaret & the likes of Kurt Weill et al permeate the album throughout, particularly on ‘Vagabond’.

As expected Blake’s voice is the high point of the work around which all the other elements coalesce. Instrumentation and even Marsh’s vocals all really seem to be present only to compliment her languid and sultry tones. There’s therefore nothing approaching a frantic pace reached at any point. Instead the strong sexual overtones are more the shutting-out-the-world-in-the-afternoon variety rather than the anywhere will do, quickie sort.

That said it’s also a great album for consumption at night with a couple of bottles of good red. How and whenever you listen to it though it should ultimately leave you uplifted and inspire you to hunt out the earlier works by its talented creators.

From The Deep is available here.