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Sage Motel by Monophonics
New album: Smooth, swoony, classy soul with that classic Philly sound reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield, here presented in a hotel theme by the Bay area band led by Kelly Finnigan, as a place where guests experience the highs and lows of human existence on the crossroads of life on a soft pillow of soulful psychedelia
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Old friends: Mavis Staples and Levon Helm
New album: A timeless live album of soul, gospel, funk and blues capturing a 2011 Midnight Rambles show by the evergreen singer made at the home studio of the former drummer and co-lead singer of The Band who then died a year later
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Poppy Ajudha’s The Power In Us
Debut album: Powerful indeed, in voice and message, on the political, social and personal, and after five or more years of singles and EPs, the debut LP by the British singer-songwriter who fuses soul, dubstep, jazz and pop
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Sondre Lerche: Avatars of Love
New album: Classic, timeless, tender, soulful pop in this 85-minute double LP by the Norwegian artist spans many of love’s perspectives, with influences from Joni Mitchell to Frank Sinatra, Gilberto Gil to Antonio Carlos Jobim, as well as a variety of films
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Man in the corner: Bakar – Nobody’s Home
New album: This eclectic LP of hybrid hip hop, soul, pop, indie, R&B, and even a dash of folk by the North London rapper singer-songwriter Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr is full of influences from Blur to King Krule, Tame Impala to Amy Winehouse, and his Tanzanian immigrant mother
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That floating feeling: Kojey Radical has Reason To Smile
Debut album: After many singles and four EPs, the British rapper’s and brand designer’s full debut LP is a stylish mix of hip hop, jazz and R&B filled with impressive braggadocio, reflections on his Ghanaian heritage, with songs love, crime, race, and the black experience, and talking excerpts by his beloved mother
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Robert Glasper’s third album in the series has another stellar lineup of guests
New album: The Houston jazz pianist, four-times Grammy winner and highly influential collaborator releases the third in his BLM-related series of jazz, hip hop, soul and R&B, featuring another stellar line of guests including Killer Mike, Q-Tip, Common, Gregory Porter, Jennifer Hudson, India Arie and Meshell Ndegeocello
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Raveena; smooth, cross-cultural blending
New album: Eclectic, striking mainstream label debut LP for the 27-year-old American pop artist Raveena Aurora who mixes rhythms and more from her Sikh Indian heritage with traits of R&B, soul, funk, 00s trip-hop and ambient electronica
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Perfectly paced: The Delines’ new album
New album: Wonderfully minimal, emotionally strong, yet also becalming third album of Southern soul by the Portland, Oregon band that includes guitarist and songwriter Willy Vlautin and the perfectly paced delivery of singer Amy Boone
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Lady Wray’s Piece of Me
New album: A wonderful third album by American singer Nicole Monique Wray of rich, high-quality retro soul decorated by her soaring voice, 70s Detroit-style grooves and emotional songs that carry you with their energy and sheer class
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Favourite selection part 2.
Favourite albums of 2021 – Part 2: Welcome the second instalment, following Part 1, which can be found here. A huge number of excellent releases, of which again this is just a selection many of which were written during, and about lockdown, but also saw many outstanding voices emerge as well as innovative sounds developed
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Take your pick. Are your favourites here? Also check out Part 2 coming soon.
Favourite albums of 2021, part 1: Another difficult year for everyone, but from soul and jazz, electro-pop the experimental and avant-garde, an outstanding one for music releases, perhaps in part because out of diversity comes great art. Also feel free to explore Part 2, which is now available to view here.
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New album: She’s back, with further heartbreak and all about her divorce, and while here we try to avoid the mega-selling LPs – this already set to be the biggest of 2021 – there’s no denying the honesty and talent of Tottenham’s finest, Adele Adkins
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Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars
New album: Something of a perfect pairing – two superstars come together with a shared niche passion for 70s funk and soul, and with guests including bassists Thundercat and Bootsy Collins, this brings rich, scintillating results
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The full Sweats with Nathaniel (centre)
New album: Emotionally powerful, muscular rock-country-soul by the Denver singer-songwriter and band has strong echoes of Hurricane-era, Dylan, northern soul, early Van Morrison, as well as with oodles of swagger, sweat, grit, slide guitar, meaty brass, screams and sorrow
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Curtis Harding’s third solo LP, If Words Were Flowers
New album: Classic high-quality 70s-style soul and gospel by the Atlanta singer on his third solo album, filled with beautiful instrumentation and packed with vocally strong emotions that seek the positive through dark times
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Blue Banister’s is Lana Del Rey’s eighth studio album in 11 years
New album: The American singer-songwriter returns with her eighth LP and second LP of the year with further slow, cinematic piano-based numbers filled with her soaring voice and vivid, heartbreak stories and images
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Joy Crookes’ debut album - Skin
New album: After three EPs, the 23-year-old south Londoner of Irish-Bangladeshi descent launches her debut LP with songs of high quality and consummate performance, joining the likes of Celeste and Arlo Parks as as likely huge soul stars
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The Allergies - Promised Land
New album: Upbeat, vibrant new LP of old-school-type hip hop mining vintage funk and soul samples with added guest rappers, skilfully put together by the Bristol pair of Roy Spencer aka DJ Moneyshot and producer Rackabeat aka Adam Volson
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NAO’s third album blossoms
New album: Sunnily uplifting and defiant in style and lyrics, this third album by the 33-year-old east London soul and R&B singer features guest co-vocalists, but with the exception of a real beauty with Lianne La Havas, shines out best on her own
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