Bleep

The Estonian label Frotee is doing a fine job of excavating some of the country’s lost classics and hidden gems. This latest 7”, two-track re-release is no exception. Velly Joonas has more than 300 songs to her name, but one suspects that there are few more spellbinding than the two set to wax here. Recorded for Estonian Radio in the 1980s, these tracks are covers of Frida’s ‘I See Red’ and Roberta Flack’s ‘Feel Like Makin’ Love’ with new lyrics by Joonas. While the instrumentals bear the hallmarks of that kitschy, folk-cosmic strain of soul that fermented in the USSR, Joonas’s bold and breathy vocals take these songs to another space altogether. Intriguing stuff.