Cleo Sol's immense and personal sophomore album, Mother, comes to a conclusion with "Spirit," a song that leans heavily and wonderfully on gospel instrumentation and '70s soul production.
A drum machine-beat mingles with an organic kit as a jangly guitar melody bounces through misty synths, creating a liminal space to process loss: a spiraling nightmare of regret that is oh so pretty.
Frahm has a brawny tenor sax sound, strong and consistent from top to bottom. His new trio album shows off his ability to use pacing and momentum to tell a compelling story.
With "Pressure," the Dreamville Records vocalist elevates her status as a neo-soul touchstone, referencing the soul divas before her and leading the way for those to come with fearless charm.
"Departures" draws strength through its resistance to stability; the track ripples and morphs across melancholic, synth-soaked '80s melodies, rocking jam sessions and cooing vocal breakdowns.
Picking one winner from thousands of amazing entries wasn't easy. But one singer-songwriter rose to the top, with a song about rooting yourself in nature that stopped our judges in their tracks.
A founder of the Newport Folk Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — and perhaps the most important jazz impresario of all time — died Monday.