Albums
August: 18 albums you need to hear this month
Get locked in!
Dr Meaker 'Dirt & Soul' (Circus)
Bristol band Dr Meaker’s good-natured soundsystem soul is sharper than ever on ‘Dirt & Soul’. The tempo is almost entirely junglist, the mood celebratory and the cast of featured vocalists don’t hold back in their old-school gospel-tinged soul belting. A mid-album synth interlude entitled ‘Glastonbury’ gives the game away: this is festival-rave aimed at getting sunny fields and dark packed tents filled with hands in the air. And while there’s some variation, with doubt and brooding amid the good vibes, the emotional richness of it all can get a bit like having 11 courses of dessert. Taken individually, though, each track is a stirring smasher.
7/10
