The Cosmic Debris: The Cosmic Debris (Carnival Din/digital outlets/limited vinyl)

About six years ago Alan Perrott (who DJs as House of Bamboo) and music archivist John Baker pulled together a fascinating Heed the Call compilation of New Zealand soul-funk and disco from various obscure albums and the vaults of musicians.

It was a rare one because these were idioms which largely went by most artists.

Hats off then to Auckland's Tony Richards who here presents 10 original songs which skirt around soul and funk but also touch on the groove of JJ Cale and some elements of David Gilmour and Rick Wright's low-mood playing of the Dark Side-era Pink Floyd (both evident on the philosophical, five minute Floating in the Air).

That might sound like a strange brew but on the evidence it certainly works and invokes the FM radio sounds of the early Seventies (Let Me Be The One, She Wants to Be).

Multi-instrumentalist Richards came out of the Wellington post-punk scene but as a literal and musical itinerant (with a B.Mus from Victoria Uni studying with Douglas Lilburn, Ross Harris, Jenny McLeod and other luminaries) he spent seven years in London working in graphic design but playing swing, jive and soul music in various pubs and clubs.

He wrote for low budget films, came back to New Zealand in '96, has worked in live sound and created his own digital audio studio to release his own albums on his Carnival Din label.

It's quite some background and musical reach but he here focuses on rhythmically slippery soul-pop with layers of vocals, organ and guitar (chipping the rhythm, with wah-wah) over an enjoyably leisurely groove (the summery Turn on Your Light) or a bubbling beat (Wake Me Up).

But he also brings some wry observations of contemporary life (Doom Scrolling).

This isn't deep black soul but something else and more idiosyncratic. It doesn't all work: Centre of the Groove in the final third is a lazily delivered, slightly stoned but somewhat shapeless piece which doesn't live up to its title and Break the Curse which follows is more folk than soul – as is the live acoustic version of Climb Up afterwards – so a little out of place in this context.

So the soul and funk -- with the influence of JJ Cale -- is here stacked in the first two thirds – and it is well worth discovering.

Lotta talent distilled into this one.

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You can hear this album at Spotify here but it is also available in a limited edition (100 copies, hand numbered) vinyl from Flying Out, Real Groovy, Southbound and Rebel Soul Records. See here for details