Seatbelts - COWBOY BEBOP: The Real Folk Blues Legends [2LP UK Import]

Seatbelts' COWBOY BEBOP: The Real Folk Blues Legends gathers music from the anime that made jazz cool for a new generation, pressed here as a double LP UK import.

Led by composer Yoko Kanno, Seatbelts gave the 1998 series its unmistakable sound, a restless blend of big-band bebop, blues, rock, funk and heartbreaking balladry. Few shows have ever been so inseparable from their music, and few scores have travelled so far beyond the screen. This collection draws on the series and the music that followed for the feature film, assembling a set that plays as a standalone record as much as a nostalgia trip.

The Real Folk Blues, the series' closing theme sung by Mai Yamane, captures the bittersweet, rain-soaked mood of the show in a few minutes. Call Me Call Me, sung by Steve Conte, is a fragile, aching ballad that still stops fans in their tracks. Blue, also sung by Yamane, soars with the finality of the series' last moments, while Cats on Mars brings a lighter, dreamier touch. Kanno's writing jumps between genres with absolute confidence, and the band plays every style like it is their natural home.

For anyone who ever stayed for the end credits, this is essential listening. See you, space cowboy.