Valerie June's been bubbling under for almost a decade – recording work with other artists, doing a variety of projects, and finally getting her chance to shine in the spotlight with her previous debut – yet it may well be this well-crafted second album that finally puts the singer over the top! Valerie's completely her own woman here – not beholden to any sort of easy tags or cliches – including the "rootsy soul" or "folksy diva" tags that we heard batted around before – and instead, almost inventing her own genre for the record – which has a vibe that makes us guess that it's going to be the start of a huge legacy of fame to come for June. Her voice is timeless, the instrumentation is nicely understated, and the production is very easygoing – yet the whole thing comes across with a crispily compelling sound that could appeal to both hipsters and their more mainstream friends. That might sound like a dig, but it's not – just our way of illustrating the soon-to-be universal appeal of the singer! Titles include "The Front Door", "Astral Plane", "Long Lonely Road", "Just IN Time", "Slip Slide On By", "Two Hearts", and "Got Soul". CD

One of the hippest records we've ever heard from Esperanza Spalding – a set that almost feels as if she's stepping back into some of the more experimental, individual qualities that made her so different at the start! There's definitely some appealing, catchy songs here – but the record is one to definitely be taken as a whole – this really lovely tapestry of voice and music that shimmers and glistens throughout – tunes that work together as a single suite that really keeps the album sounding fantastic all the way through, in this blend of jazz and soul that comes not just from Esperanza's vocals and work on bass, but also from the piano of Leo Genovese, who co-wrote most of the material on the album. Wayne Shorter plays on one track, the record features guest vocals from Corey King and Ganavya, and the set features 13 tracks, all numerically titled "Formwela". CD

Macy's best album since The Id, the slept on second album that we must be all alone in thinking is far better than her smash hit debut – coming here with hooky, fun and anthemic pop soul framing Macy's distinctively gritty lead vocals and memorable hooks! Macy Gray has always mixed it up stylistically in a way you could call "taking risks", still with ultra catchy and commercial gloss, but we just think she's creatively restless and up for anything. Here she flirts with 70s bubblegum glam rock on "Kissed It", but for the most part the album layers pop and R&B influences from the past couple decades and we'll call it an appealing win for Ms Gray....even with the Auto-Tune, dammit. Includes "The Sellout", "The Comeback", "Lately", "Still Hurts" feat Romika, "Stalker", "Real Love" (with Bobby Brown!!!), "On & On" and more. CD

Keyon Harrold continues his rise from standard jazz into the realm of soulful superstar – working here with a great array of guests, and also creating a sound that's a fantastic blend of his own work on trumpet and some larger currents of soul and R&B! At some level, the record's almost Harrold's equivalent of the Black Radio projects from pianist Robert Glasper – and maybe no surprise, Glasper's in the lineup of guests here – alongside Laura Mvula, PJ Morton, Common, Jean Baylor, and others – all participants who find just the right spot in the music, yet leave plenty of room for Keyon to blow some solos in a way that mark his role as the visionary leader of the proceedings. Titles include "Beautiful Day", "Well Walk Now", "Don't Lie", "Foreverland", "Find Your Peace", "Gotta Go", "Pictures", and "The Intellectual". (Jazz, Neo Soul) CD

Keyon Harrold continues his rise from standard jazz into the realm of soulful superstar – working here with a great array of guests, and also creating a sound that's a fantastic blend of his own work on trumpet and some larger currents of soul and R&B! At some level, the record's almost Harrold's equivalent of the Black Radio projects from pianist Robert Glasper – and maybe no surprise, Glasper's in the lineup of guests here – alongside Laura Mvula, PJ Morton, Common, Jean Baylor, and others – all participants who find just the right spot in the music, yet leave plenty of room for Keyon to blow some solos in a way that mark his role as the visionary leader of the proceedings. Titles include "Beautiful Day", "Well Walk Now", "Don't Lie", "Foreverland", "Find Your Peace", "Gotta Go", "Pictures", and "The Intellectual". (Jazz, Neo Soul) LP, Vinyl record album

Esperanza Spaulding looks more striking than ever on this album cover, but not as striking as the music inside – co-produced by Spaulding with Tony Visconti – the longtime David Bowie collaborator who really brings a sharp sort of focus to the set! Although Esperanza began as a jazz bassist who also happened to sing, by the point of this album she's a fully-formed soul star in her own right – bold, powerful, and progressive – with a vision that's even more moving, almost with a future soul or cosmic crackle at points, instead of some of the warmer, gentler modes from previous recordings. The album's a stunner, and shows that Esperanza Spaulding will be surprising us plenty in years to come – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Earth To Heaven", "Rest In Pleasure", "Elevate Or Operate", "Unconditional Love", "Funk The Fear", "I Want It Now", and "Ebony & Ivy". Deluxe edition features the bonus track "Change Us", plus an extended version of "Unconditional Love", an expanded booklet, and poster too! CD

With Gerald Clayton on piano and Rhodes, Antonio Hart on flute, and Christian McBride on bass – plus special guests Clark Terry on trumpet, Lizz Wright on vocals, and Herbie Hancock as the "voice of Duke Ellington"! (Jazz, Neo Soul) CD

12 sublime spells from Esperanza Spaulding – with 4 more spells added to the mix for the physical release of the album! The record's got Esperanza really blowing us away – not content to just stay in the safer territory that she virtually invented a few years back, and which could sustain her entire career – and instead coming across with a mode that's more complicated, more edgey, and more message-oriented than ever before – all awash with a pastiche of sonic colors that's echoed by the image on the cover! Spaulding's vocals just seem to get better and better as the years go on – but she also leads strongly with her basslines on most numbers too – while the production really lets some of the more cosmic-styled elements flow around the edges. Titles include "12 Little Spells", "To Tide Us Over", "Til The Next Full", "Thang", "You Have To Dance", "Now Know", "All Limbs Are", "Readying To Rise", and "Dancing The Animal". Bonus "spells" include "Lest We Forget", "How To", "Move Many", and "Ways Together". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest records we've ever heard from Esperanza Spalding – a set that almost feels as if she's stepping back into some of the more experimental, individual qualities that made her so different at the start! There's definitely some appealing, catchy songs here – but the record is one to definitely be taken as a whole – this really lovely tapestry of voice and music that shimmers and glistens throughout – tunes that work together as a single suite that really keeps the album sounding fantastic all the way through, in this blend of jazz and soul that comes not just from Esperanza's vocals and work on bass, but also from the piano of Leo Genovese, who co-wrote most of the material on the album. Wayne Shorter plays on one track, the record features guest vocals from Corey King and Ganavya, and the set features 13 tracks, all numerically titled "Formwela". LP, Vinyl record album