LINDA LEWIS - Fathoms Deep / WEE - You Can Fly On My Aeroplane

Here lie two very smooth, but very innovative mid-'70s soul albums entirely unknown to us prior to respective recent reissues on Collector's Choice and * (that would be the Numero Group's full-length Asterisk imprint pulling a Prince right there), whose catchiness has helped them worm their way into the listening habits of many of us here at the shop over this past month.

Fathoms Deep, Riperton-ian UK session singer (for Cat Stevens, David Bowie, Al Kooper, and Elton John) Lewis' second solo effort from 1974, has slightly savvier sequencing (and stronger songs, arguably) than debut Lark; "If I Could"'s reggae gallop anticipates peppy Stiff young'un Rachel Sweet's later hand at chirpy Caribbeana "It's So Different Here"; clean-sleaze clavinet wobbler "Kingman-Tinman" dirties up Betty Davis-style for some chorus breakdown funk; and under-two-minute live excerpt "Moles"' unadorned self-accompanied guitar shows that she could wow with solo folk as well.

Wee, a decidedly more obscure act by comparison, was the studio creation of Columbus songwriter and peripheral Capsoul Records roster alum Norman Whiteside, originally released in a 1000-copy pressing by Owl Studios in 1977 following Capsoul's rejection of his solo material and its subsequent dissolution. Aeroplane's spaced keyboard textures, melodic drive and oddball ambition should endear it to lovers of For You, Small Talk, Music Of My Mind, and Inspiration Information.