(AMC)Įmily King: The Switch - Back to bubbling on the underground scene after a somewhat forced major label debut, with genre-defying projects like this, this singer-songwriter has emerged as one of the most creative forces in urban alternative music today. Kudos to them for bending to the left with this one. The Internet managed to take us on an auditory experience that really wasn`t expected. The Internet: Ego Death: Dark drum and bass, jazzy-laden trippy vibes are heavy on this brilliant album. Terisa Griffin: Revival of Soul Nearly a decade after she broke out with My Naked Soul, Terisa Griffin delivers the whole package, a breathtaking instant classic that can stand toe to toe with the best of Anita and Phyllis (CR) The Foreign Exchange – Tales From the Land of Milk & Honey - They’ve become family by now with warm, electrosoul sounds both familiar and welcome, but it was the occasional detours taken on this sweetheart set that reminded us that their evolution is far from done.
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R’mone Entonio – Unorthodox Soul EP -Debuts are rarely this complete right out the gate, but the technical prowess, stunning harmonic interplay, and the laidback Entonio’s lush, slyly mischievous baritone came to show and prove, announcing the next new jazzy soul artist to watch. (LMG)Ĭool Million: Sumthin’ Like This-Retro yet fresh, smooth yet gritty-this all-star-packed fourth set from the German-Danish production duo delivers unforgettable tunes, irresistible rhythms, and top-notch vocal performances from start to finish. (JK)ĭisclosure: Caractal - Helmed tightly by a team of versatile singers (The Weeknd, Gregory Porter, Miguel, Kwabs, Sam Smith), Caractal - the sophomore disc by the UK dance duo Disclosure - drops an earful of soul on an ethereal world of delicious grooves. ( HD)Ĭolumbia Nights: In All Things - A start to finish work of art, this sophomore project felt like a multi-movement jazz suite of several genres of Black American Music traditions all rolled up into something modern, layered, and most of all sexy. Carrington brought top flight talent such as Oleta Adams, Ledisi, and Lizz Wright and their skills are matched by the material they were given. Terri Lyne Carrington: Mosaic Project: Love And Soul - Carrington hit a formula that manages to avoid being formulaic on her the second installment of her project that brings together a group of virtuosic female musicians and vocalists. Still, the sheer funkiness of his record made 1968: Soul Power a compelling record. Rasheed Ali: 1968: Soul Power- The fact that the issues addressed on this musical history lesson remain relevant accounts for the fact the Ali’s retelling of the people and events 1968 is compelling. retro rock/soul band whips out a tenacious sophomore disc, exposing Prince-hued psychedelic arrangements (“Sound & Color,” “Gimme All Your Love”), string rhapsodies and musical excellence. (JMC)Īlabama Shakes: Sound & Color - The Athens, Ala. Our Critics' Picks - Albums of the Year (in artist alphabetical order)Īdele: 25 - Not as pristine as 21, but Adele’s 25 sounds more mature and shows off a new level of soulful creativity, thanks to radio-ready beats (“Send My Love (To Your New Lover),” “Water Under the Bridge”) and more of her arresting power ballads (“Hello,” “When We Were Young”). You can SEARCH at the top of this page to learn more about these talented artists. Looking for a Christmas gift for a music lover? Then spend some time with these winners. These are uniformly releases with which you can't go wrong - or so our critics say.
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Also, each album name is a link to our review of the album. Matthew Cobb (JMC), Melody Charles (MC), Peggy Oliver (PO), Robb Patryk (RP), Justin Kantor (JMK), Ann Marie Collymore (AMC) and Howard Dukes (HD). The toughest part of this is limiting the choices, but here are the selections from Chris Rizik (CR), L. And so we've gathered our music critics to each pick their favorites, which we've assembled below. (December 19, 2015) It is always fun at the end of each year to celebrate the best of that year.