Well, Ricky Leroy Brown has gone and done it, presenting us with "SEXUAL MANUAL FOR EXPERTS," and I confess, the title alone sent my mind skittering off like a startled cat at a séance. This solo Madrileño, who conjures entire soundscapes from his own hands and instruments, is clearly still communing with the spirit of Prince, all slinky guitars and a rhythm section that...

With a name like that, you expect a certain solitary drift, so when Earth-o-Naut’s “Bring The Light” kicks in, the effect is disarming. Here is a vessel, piloted by a single Liverpudlian architect of sound, that feels impossibly full. This isn't the cold echo of the void; it's a warm, inhabited space, anchored by the legendary propulsion of Steve White on drums. His groove...