Neo Soul — CDs  

Mindblowing stuff – the first album from Siji, and an immediate classic that grabbed us right away! Siji's been bumping around on various records for the past few years – lending his vocal talents to a number of great club tracks and singles – but this is his first full album, and it's a heck of a great debut! There's a righteousness to the album that's undeniable – a vocal style that's spacey, warm, and mellow – and which puts Siji somewhere in a trajectory of soul that runs from Stevie Wonder to Eric Roberson! The tunes have a bit of an influence from the New York Osunlade scene – no surprise, considering that Osunlade's offered Siji a lot of support over the years – but the songwriting itself is completely fresh, and crackles out with a personal energy that only seems to deepen as the set moves on. Incredible stuff, with a sound all its own – and titles that include "Sanctuary", "Watching You Watching Me", "Running Away", "God-Given", "Starting Over", "Feels Like", "Bittersweet", "I Believe", and "The Day Ahead".

The long-awaited second album from Sweetback – a group that was originally known for their backing work behind Sade, but who have really come into their own with this set! The album's overflowing with warm vocals from the lovely Aya – sliding into the mix to meet the laidback and jazzy rhythms of the group – and the set also features occasional vocals from Ivana Santilli, Ladybug Mecca, Byron Stingly, and Chocolate Genius. The real charm is the instrumentation, though – as mellow-grooving and laidback as we loved in the early years of Sade – yet really fresh, updated, and with a voice that's all its own! Titles include "Voodoo Breath", "Lover", "Circles", "All My Days With You", "Mountain", "Things You'll Never Know", "Love Is The Word", "Shining Hour", and "Round & Round".

The Temptations get a whole new groove here – working away from Motown for the first time in many many years, and getting a good deal of production help from Steve The Scotsman Harvey! Steve's backing the group with his Everyday People combo on more than half the record – taking them back to the live soul mode of the earlier years – and creating a groove that breathes surprising new life into their music. The remaining tunes are handled by Benjamin Wright, who gives the Temps more of a conventional soul finish – but fortunately, the record's put together in a way that alternates the two modes so that Harvey's great talents are spread out nicely through the set. And even though most of the songs are older hits from 60s Motown, the versions handled by Harvey are fresh and new – even though they're getting a classic sort of approach! Titles include "Can I Get A Witness", "Reflections", "Try It Baby", "I Hear A Symphony", "Don't Leave Me This Way", "I'll Be There", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "Reach Out & Touch", "Ooo Baby Baby", and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

Sweet, deep, and righteous – some wonderful solo work from Rhonda Thomas, the lead singer of Jiva! The album's got a warm-flowing, easy-stepping sort of groove – gentle keyboards on mellow beats, almost in a style that takes us back to classic Minnie Riperton jams of the 70s – but which also opens up into some numbers that groove with a funkier, more full-on sound that's more in keeping with Rhonda's work with Jiva. The whole set's great – a really fresh approach to indie soul, handled by an artist who's really got her stuff together! Titles include "Fly Away", "Passion Plea", "Breathe New Life", "Friday Night", "Stand & Know", and "Kiss Your Smile".

It's a bold thing to call a debut album "new voice" – but Kendra Ross more than lives up to that promise with this tasty little set – a fresh, no-nonsense batch of contemporary soul tracks that should certainly put Kendra on the map! Kendra's collaborated with others in the past, and the album features guest work by Eric Roberson, Talib Kweli, and others – but Ross is the key star here, working with a no-cliche approach to her music, and a style that's more sophisticated than some of her Neo Soul contemporaries – often with a nice degree of jazz in the mix that reminds us of the promise we first heard in the music of Carmen Lundy. Titles include "Real Deal", "New Voice", "Send Me Somebody To Love", "1st Time", "Has2B", and "Very Well".