Neo Soul — Recently Added

A genre-stepping set of soul work from Mo Kolours – aka Joseph Deenmamode – a singer with roots in many styles, which he wraps together here wonderfully! At some level, the album takes the approach of a collaborative hip hop production, but in a way that uses live musicians – but ... CD

A heady set of French language hip hop from Zokush – an artist who might be to today's scene what MC Solaar was to the 90s – someone who's able to effortlessly shift the language in the music, in ways that use the difference in phrasing to really open up the sound! The approach here is ... CD

Jordan Hamilton locates this album halfway between Chicago and Detroit – which is maybe a good way to think about his style of music – as it's partly the mix of acoustic instrumentation, jazz improvisation, and inventive production from the scene around International Anthem – and ... CD

We've been digging the music of Lee for years, and he just seems to get better and better with each new record – effortlessly working in a mature blend of soul and jazzy currents, in a style that's a real cut above so many of his contemporaries on the indie scene! Lee has a great way with a ... CD

Maybe the coolest record we've ever heard from Moonchild – a set that's an all-acoustic outing, and one that offers up fresh takes on some of their older tunes – in ways that are maybe even more soulful and stunning than before! The instrumentation often includes some great work on ... CD

Wolfgang Valbrun has a sound that's as striking as his image on the cover – an old school sense of majesty in soul music, which he uses to deliver work on some very powerful themes! The production is crisp and tight, but also matches the majesty in the music – with additional singers ... CD

Sweet electro funk from Sinkane – a group who manage to pull together all these classic elements of 80s soul, yet come across with a mode that's very 21st century overall! The keyboards, basslines, and beats all have tonal qualities you might find in older street soul or boogie cuts – ... CD

The retro-styled font on the cover is a tipoff to the sound of this set – as Tre Burt steps back into the past a bit more and channels some strong influences from 70s soul, while still offering up that more contemporary blend of rock and R&B influences you'd know from his previous records! ... CD

A really great set from Emmavie – one of the freshest soul singers we've heard in awhile, and a talent from the London scene we expect to be hearing a lot more from in years to come! Emmavie's got an ear for sound that often has her vocals folded right down into the music – clearly ... CD

Hats off to Kloud 9 for this excellent set of music – new tracks from the current soul underground, all produced and supported by the mighty talents of the Kloud 9 duo! There's a much more unified feel here than other collections of this type – thanks to a set of original tunes penned ... CD

Funky soul from Harriet Brown – a record that's very well-steeped in 80s modes, including a bit of funk from Prince and some of the leaner currents of the boogie generation! Yet Harriet's got a style that's very contemporary, too – a leaner, more independent approach to soul that's ... CD

That's a nostalgia-looking cover on the front, and the music definitely has an old school vibe – but all the work is from contemporary underground soul artist Aaron Child – brought together here as a full length collection of work that originally appeared on the digital-only EP releases ... CD

Tripped-out soul from Cody Chestnutt – a double-length set that's an instant classic! Cody's sound is really unique – a lo-fi blend of styles that stretches back to Sly Stone and Shuggie Otis, with elements of the current Philly underground, bits of crispy hip hop production, and even ... LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible debut of the mighty Jill Scott – a record that asks and answers a question with the title – then goes on to not only establish Jill as one of the freshest soul music talents of her generation, but also an artist who set the tone for so many others to follow! The record ... LP, Vinyl record album

The most sophisticated album to date from this wonderful musician – a set that has Sly5thAve working with a large ensemble of players who shift along from track to track – delivering a very righteous reading of his core musical ideas, at a level that feels even more powerful than ... LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark debut from the mighty Erykah Badu – a record that really set the world on fire when it first appeared – and which continues to blow our minds all these many years later! There's a simple, straightforward grace to the album that comes through immediately – as Erykah ... LP, Vinyl record album

Meshell Ndegeocello just seems to grow more and more with each new record – quite a feat, given how unique she was at the start! Yet this record clearly marks a new chapter in her wonderful legacy – effortlessly weaving together soul, funk, and plenty of jazzy inspiration – all ... LP, Vinyl record album

A really great project from Erykah Badu – a set that's quite spare compared to the fuller sound and energy of her New Amerykah records – done in a bedroom studio in Dallas with producer Zach Witness! The music is lean and stripped-down – hip hop-influenced soul, but almost at a ... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most powerful albums we've heard from Meshell N'Degeocello in years – and that's really saying a lot, given how powerful her work can be! As the title implies, the set's inspired by the work of seminal writer James Baldwin – but Meshell makes music that's very much her own, ... CD

A funky collaboration of new and old players – as trumpeter Roy Hargrove explores a range of classic styles with a host of excellent guest stars! The RH Factor project includes work by Bernard Wright, Cornell Dupree, Karl Denson, and other funk luminaries – and it also features great ... LP, Vinyl record album

A great one from Monday Michiru – sweet, soulful, and totally right on the money! The set's almost a return to the warm soul territory that first won us over in Monday's work from the 90s – as she takes on a whole host of older American soul tunes by Stevie Wonder, Teena Marie, and ... LP, Vinyl record album

A record that was an instant classic from the moment it was first released – and a set that's still pretty darn pleasing all these many years later! At a time when mainstream soul was often too smooth or too poppy, D'Angelo came along and not only found a way to return the music to the years ... LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work from a singer who should be huge – London-based soul vocalist Bryony Jarman-Pinto, an artist who's really expanded her vibe since her debut set from a few years back! In the space since that great release, it feels like Bryony's picked up even more jazz in her phrasing – ... LP, Vinyl record album

A really great step forward for singer Alice Russell – an artist you might know best from heavier funk sets, but who comes across here in lean deep soul style that's even better for her incredible voice! In face, although we fell in love with Alice from her very first record many years ago, ... LP, Vinyl record album

Omar's second album for BMG – and an instant classic set of soul tracks that sadly almost disappeared as soon as it was released! The album shows Omar growing even stronger than ever both as a singer and songwriter – moving from the indie feel of earlier work into a confident role as ... LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electro funk from Sinkane – a group who manage to pull together all these classic elements of 80s soul, yet come across with a mode that's very 21st century overall! The keyboards, basslines, and beats all have tonal qualities you might find in older street soul or boogie cuts – ... LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one from Badu – one with a depth of feeling and genuine soulful vibes that live up to its title, despite the fact that she records for one of the world's biggest media conglomerates! It's all about the vibe here. Erykah rolls her syllables, scats and emotes feelings more than an ... 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 ... LP, Vinyl record album

A (sadly) posthumous release from Amy Winehouse – a voice we loved for a couple good years before knowing how troubled she was in real life and now lament the loss of – and this set, largely put together by producer Salaam Remi turned out surprisingly well! It'd be pretty easy to bow ... LP, Vinyl record album

The second chapter of Erykah Badu's New Amerykah – recorded for the most part, quite incredibly, during the same period and with the same collaborators as the mind-altering, murky and righteous hip hop funk experimentalism that was Part One – some months that must be among the most ... LP, Vinyl record album