Olivia Dean review – pop-soul singer proves she was born for big stages
Delicately sipping a Red Stripe and accompanied by a seven-piece band, the Brit School grad loosens up her Mercury prize-nominated album with radiant star power
Sault review – utterly astonishing debut show by UK soul enigmas
Joined by string sections, choristers and teams of dancers, the eclectic collective – including Cleo Sol, Little Simz and Michael Kiwanuka – lead an electrifying immersive event
Isaiah Collier: Parallel Universe review – an inspired homage to the giants of jazz and soul
Recorded in single-take live performances, the Chicago multi-instrumentalist deftly throws funk, gospel, soul and his own fine voice into the mix
Sampha: Lahai review – how to make an existential crisis sound sublime
Six years after the Mercury prize-winning Process, Sampha Sisay’s follow-up is jittery with anxiety and indecision, yet poised and luscious
Gabrielle review – hip shakers, soulful sunshine and Dreams
The singer has survived many traumas, but her songs carry less melancholy these days and her voice delivers joyful excitement
Jamila Woods: Water Made Us review – tracing a relationship’s painful arc
Blending genres restlessly, the Chicago musician and poet examines the sweet and sour of love with unflinching insight
End of the Road festival review – all killer no filler in a truly magical setting
Wilco and Future Islands share the same zealous audiences as newcomers Fat Dog and the Last Dinner Party in a carefully curated weekend of constant surprises
Hozier: Unreal Unearth review – turning the emotion up to 11
(Island)The Irish singer-songwriter draws on some classic literary sources for his entrancing but overlong third album
Jon Batiste: World Music Radio review – safety-first global pop from a jazz superstar
The Grammy winner has amassed an array of international guest stars – reggaeton rappers, Lana Del Rey, Kenny G – for his vision of global pop, but the bland effect is more amiable than eclectic
Gabriels: Angels & Queens review – sensational second chapter from the retro-future soul trio
Proud and seductive, part two of the UK-LA band’s debut album is a wonder from start to finish
Anohni and the Johnsons: My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross review – intense emotion and captivating soul
The New York singer’s voice will make you shiver as it soars over simple guitar, bass and drums on her most approachable album since the mid-00s
Olivia Dean: Messy review – hackneyed British soul tropes do singer a disservice
This debut album is strongest when going off-kilter – hopefully next time she’ll explore her experimental side
Bettye LaVette: LaVette! review – a formidable soul survivor
Every morsel of gravel is audible in the septuagenarian’s voice as, backed by a stellar band, she proves the thrill is far from gone
Jessie Ware: That! Feels Good! review – 21st-century disco packed with personality
The retro mood of Ware’s brash pop never feels like a costume, as her tight melodies, killer choruses and dry humour wear vintage details with style
Dave Okumu & the 7 Generations: I Came from Love review – spirituals, soul … and Grace Jones
Okumu’s imaginative ‘collaboration’ with his ancestors and successors is a genre-switching journey through an extensive lineage of Black experience