Listening to Somewhere Between, the sophomore album from Leeds trio Gotts Street Park, feels a little like stumbling upon a forgotten soul record in the back of a dusty record shop. The sleeve is worn, the corners are bent, and you have absolutely no idea what you’re about to hear. But as the needle drops, you’re transported into a world of velvet vocals, warm analogue instrumentation and effortlessly cool grooves that sound as though they’ve been sitting there waiting for you since 1973.
It’s a remarkable trick, really. Particularly when you consider that Somewhere Between is arriving in 2026, an era where music is increasingly polished, processed and occasionally produced without a human being anywhere near an instrument.
Gotts Street Park seem rather uninterested in all that.
The Leeds-based trio have spent years establishing themselves as a formidable collective of instrumentalists and producers, with their 2023 debut On The Inside showcasing a distinctive blend of soul, jazz and hip-hop. Three years later, Somewhere Between finds the group broadening their musical palette, incorporating elements of folk, Americana and the great singer-songwriter traditions of the 1970s.
The result is an eleven-track collection that is wonderfully warm, beautifully performed and, perhaps most importantly, unmistakably human.
Opening track “Wake Me Up”, featuring Olive Jones, wastes little time establishing the album’s intentions. We’re immediately swept away in the cosy, neon warmth of Jones’ velvety croon, which glides effortlessly over a simple groove. There’s nothing overwhelmingly extravagant, but it is undeniably elegant. The guitars are understated, the drums keep things moving, and the bass does much of the heavy lifting, gluing the arrangement together with a loose, unhurried pulse.
It’s a short, sharp and catchy introduction, seemingly happiest cruising along at a comfortable altitude rather than reaching for some enormous musical crescendo. And that’s precisely where much of Somewhere Between finds its charm.
“Flowers”, featuring returning collaborator Pip Millett, opens with a crisp drum fill before settling into another deliciously unhurried slice of neo-soul. Millett’s soft, intimate vocal performance sits beautifully within the arrangement, while the jazzy chord progressions and easy-going instrumentation feel like the very definition of old-school cool. There’s a remarkable restraint to the performance. Nobody seems particularly interested in stealing the spotlight, and the musicians appear perfectly content allowing the groove to do the talking.
It’s lovely stuff, although it also introduces one of my few reservations about the record.
For all its undeniable musical beauty, Somewhere Between occasionally feels more comfortable providing the atmosphere than commanding your attention. The songwriting rarely reaches for the kind of hooks or memorable melodic payoffs that might elevate these already excellent arrangements into something truly extraordinary.
That’s not necessarily a criticism of the band’s intentions. There’s considerable pleasure to be found in music that simply sounds this good. But over eleven tracks, the distinction between a compelling atmosphere and a genuinely unforgettable song becomes increasingly apparent.
Following the delicate instrumental interlude “Nico’s Theme”, “Some Birds Don’t Fly”, featuring Matt Maltese, provides one of the album’s most affecting moments. There’s a dreamy melancholy to the arrangement, with a beautifully restrained vocal performance that carries a quiet sadness beneath its surface. The chorus is particularly affecting, demonstrating just how effective Gotts Street Park can be when their considerable instrumental talents are paired with songwriting that cuts a little deeper.
“Easy”, featuring the extraordinary Celeste, is another highlight. A thick, grooving bassline establishes the foundations before sharp electric guitar accents and Celeste’s wonderfully emotive vocals bring the arrangement to life. It’s astonishing how much feeling can be extracted from such simple musical ingredients. There’s no one instrument pulling a “Hotel California” solo, but the combined effect is remarkably potent. It’s the kind of recording that could have been unearthed from the archives of a 1970s soul label without raising an eyebrow.
Indeed, much of Somewhere Between feels like stepping into a playground of analogue synthesisers and vintage recording equipment, overseen by some wonderfully eccentric 1970s studio version of Willy Wonka. The gently rattling percussion, rounded bass tones and gorgeous electric guitars create a wonderfully tactile listening experience, with each instrument occupying its own carefully considered space.
There’s something particularly impressive about the album’s instrumental passages, too. “Nico’s Theme”, “Lay Low” and the wonderfully moody “Slippy” demonstrate the trio’s ability to create compelling musical journeys. The production is so meticulously balanced that even the simplest arrangements feel remarkably complete.
The record’s revolving cast of vocalists is equally impressive. Between Olive Jones, Pip Millett, Matt Maltese, Celeste, and Rosie Lowe, Gotts Street Park have assembled an extraordinary collection of vocal collaborators. And therein lies both the greatest strength and occasional frustration of Somewhere Between.
It’s a record so assured of its own identity that it rarely feels the need to venture beyond it. The grooves are consistently excellent, the performances beautifully restrained and the production immaculate. But after a while, the same qualities that make the album so immediately appealing begin to make its individual songs a little difficult to distinguish.
It’s not that the music becomes boring, exactly. Rather, it becomes predictable in its excellence.
“Don’t Give Up”, featuring anaiis, is another lovely slice of soulful melancholy, “Below The Water” offers an affecting piano-led performance from Rosie Lowe, and the closing “Going Home” brings proceedings to a suitably gentle conclusion. There’s very little here to actively dislike, but equally, there are relatively few moments that demand you sit up and take notice.
Perhaps that’s the trade-off for a record so devoted to atmosphere. Gotts Street Park aren’t particularly interested in enormous choruses or grand musical statements. Their music is built around subtler pleasures. In an era increasingly defined by digital perfection and artificial creation, there’s something almost quietly rebellious about that approach. Somewhere Between feels decidedly anti-AI, not because it makes any explicit statement about technology, but because it celebrates the intangible chemistry of talented people making music together. It feels intentionally, and undeniably human.
And I sincerely hope there’s still a place for records like this, particularly in a world where instrumental music is so often reduced to anonymous background accompaniment for studying, relaxing or filling the silence. Because Somewhere Between deserves better than that.
It may not reach the songwriting heights of the great soul records it so lovingly evokes, and its commitment to a singular musical atmosphere occasionally comes at the expense of variety. But what Gotts Street Park lack in dramatic peaks, they more than compensate for with warmth, personality and an extraordinary command of their instruments.
It’s a beautifully crafted album that knows exactly what it wants to be.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Somewhere Between is out today. Grab it HERE
