Discern / Define (20th Anniversary Edition) vinyl

These days, there are countless bands authentically recreating the fuzzy sounds of 1960s and '70s Black American soul and funk. That wasn't the case when the Poets of Rhythm released their first records in the 1990s. Their attempts to create a new (old) funk sound arguably peaked with 2001's Discern/Define, the German combo's second and final full-length. Here reissued on wax for the first time since with a slightly expanded track list, the album remains a classic collection of funk-some gems that digs deep for inspiration. Yes, there are nods to James Brown, Stax Records and the Meters, but also dusty reggae-soul, Blaxploitation soundtracks and obscure Latino funk. In a word: essential.