Sault: Nine review – a masterclass in anger and balm
The enigmatic collective’s fifth album in two years is another masterclass in confounding expectations
Tyler, the Creator: Call Me If You Get Lost review – the most glorious mess
Bursts of kaleidoscopic synthpop, soul balladry and jazz sweep you through the latest offering in the artist’s eclectic, controversial and – against the odds – enduring career
Greentea Peng: Man Made review – featherlight, even in anger
Hip-hop, jazz and righteous reggae blend elegantly in the singer-songwriter’s message-driven debut album
Van Morrison: Latest Record Project Volume 1 review – depressing rants by tinfoil milliner
The veteran bluesman loudly wakes up the sheeple with this boring and paranoid double album, reminiscent of a dinner party with a bitter divorcee
Valerie June: The Moon and the Stars review – psychedelic Memphis soul
The Tennessee singer-songwriter’s bittersweet country soul with an astral bent fares best when it’s kept simple
Celeste: Not Your Muse review – a debut with occasional hidden depths
Some bold moments reveal the soul singer’s potential to be more than the voice of TV jingles and Adele stop-gaps
Madlib: Sound Ancestors review – hip-hop visionary tells wondrous stories in sound
Arranged by Four Tet, the producer’s stunning album is poignant and sincere, combining beats, jazz, reggae toasts and vocal snippets into a kind of folklore
Frazey Ford review – an emotional, imperfect, lyrical balm
The cult Canadian country singer cooks up an exquisite livestreamed set with honeyed funk, buttery vocals and plenty of soul
Van Morrison review – transcending the pandemic with mystic soul
Morrison brings warmth to the cold space of a socially distanced theatre, leaving aside his anti-lockdown songs for a thrillingly extemporised set
Alicia Keys: Alicia review – classic and contemporary
Some fine collaborations enliven the soul singer’s most personal set so far
John Legend: Bigger Love – synths, snogging and schmaltz
After his sixth album’s foray into the complexity of relationships, the syrupy singer’s seventh reverts to saccharine crooning, in praise of his wife
One World: Together at Home review – locked-down stars lift the spirits
There are stirring performances aplenty in the Lady Gaga-hosted singathon, but it’s the glimpses of celebs’ homes that are the real treat
Michael Kiwanuka review – soul’s troubled man speaks truth to power
The two-time Brit nominee rejects a brash victory lap in favour of a deep dive into his socially conscious hit album
Moses Sumney: Græ review – double album’s stunning first instalment
Moses Sumney’s arresting debut, Aromanticism (2017), introduced a soaring new voice, and an artist keen to resist habitual assumptions about love and genre. This first instalment of a follow-up double album finds this erstwhile poet and US star-in-waiting interrogating grey … Continue reading
Frazey Ford: U Kin B the Sun review – bright shoots from knotted roots of American song
The former Be Good Tanyas member develops her intimate version of southern soul – but fills it with strife from relationship breakdowns to gun issues