[RATING: 5] More double A-side 45 heat from Night Owls (when isn’t it?) as they re-imagine another brace of old soul classics inna funky reggay stylee. This time it’s the turn of Stax oldie After Laughter by soul queen Wendy Rene famously sampled by RZA on Wu-Tang’s Tearz. Night Owls give it some reggae bounce and the tempo, unusually for reggae, ends up a bit faster than the original while singer Destani Wolf very capably ensures there’s no less emotion than the lyrics demand. On the flip meanwhile comes the vocalist collab. that was surely an inevitability at some point as Hollie Cook lends her ethereal tones to a cover of a track arguably no less emotional than Wendy Rene’s – Darondo’s Didn’t I. The end result is stylistically highly similar to Cook’s own solo work and you know that’s a good thing – so good in fact that the wax has already sold out on Night Owls bandcamp. Don’t sleep.
(Out 25 August on F-Spot Records)