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Review: YES! Any self respecting music fan will no doubt already have fully acquainted themselves with Black Messiah, the long promised new album from soul artist D'Angelo and know that it already stands as one of the long players of the year if not the decade! The real fans have probably been waiting for the vinyl release and it's great to see the correct decision has been made to grant Black Messiah a double LP pressing. Everyone no doubt has their favourites on Black Messiah but it's great to have cuts like "Sugah Daddy" on wax, that one is perfect for the house party situations.

Review: Hot Pink is the second studio album from rapper and singer Doja Cat. Previous singles such as "Juicy," "Rules" and "Say So" will already be familiar to fans, while guests over the course of the 12 tracks include big names like Smino, Gucci Mane and Tyga. The artist allegedly quit smoking weed before making this album and the result sure is a versatile record that has plenty of punchy lines - both vocal and bass - and offers a rich array of r&b goodness that is utterly contemporary. This album very much asserts the fact that Doja Cat is a big new presence in the game and isn't going anywhere soon.

Review: Now firmly in "pop icon" territory after a 15-year career full of successes and commercial highs, Paloma Faith has earned the opportunity to do whatever the hell she likes musically. So, on her sixth album and first for four years, she delivers a set of deeply personal, often stirring pop songs whose lyrics form a narrative of coming back from messy relationship build-ups. Beginning with the Chase & Status produced 'Pressure' featuring Kojey Radical - a sub-heavy slab of punchy post hip-hop heaviness - Faith and lead producer Martin Wave confidently stride between empowering acoustic-meets-electronic dance-pop ('How You Leave a Man'), gospel-influenced anthems-in-the-making ('Bad Woman') and the kind of emphatic electronic pop that the artist has always done so well.

Review: The famously fun loving and colourful pop queen Paloma Faith shows a whole new life with her latest album The Glorification Of Sadness. As the title suggests, it is a captivating exploration of melancholy transformed into artistry with her signature soulful vocals and emotive delivery from and centre. They find Faith navigate themes of heartbreak and resilience with raw honesty and theatrical flair as each track unfurls like a cinematic journey adorned with lush orchestration and poignant lyricism. It's an album of bittersweet beauty. From the haunting to the empowering, always with a poignant narrative that celebrates the complexities of human emotion.

Review: ** REPRESS ALERT ** Good ole' foot stomping and hand clapping - this true Tony Humphries, Southport and soul collectors favourite finally gets a full single release. "Looking For You" is massive crossover hit from 2005 by American Gospel star Kirk Franklin, who marries Patrice Rushen's "Haven't You Heard" with R&B and hip-hop to produce an uplifting, inspiring and infectious feel good classic. Franklin pilots his ensemble through a joyful song that will have you tapping your feet and clapping your hands in no time - and if put the lyrics and sermon aside, this could be superb dance music, too.

Review: Canadian Kaytranda's second album from late 2019 was defined by its exceptional collaborations and high class sound. Iman Omari, Mick Jenkins, Estelle and many more contribute to what is a gloriously fun, accessible album that is all about making you dance. Snapping beats ride over bumping bass on "Taste", "10%" with Kali Uchis has three different betas going on and a cameo from Estelle on "Oh No" is first class. The whole record is sequinned lie a Dj set, with appropriate ups and downs, thrill and spills, all keeping you locked. party starting yet meaningful, Bubba is coherent record full of charm.

Review: Lil Peep's "Everybody's Everything" is designed to accompany the documentary of the same name. It tells the story of the late Peep through his various collaborations (Nedarb, Fish Narc, Bighead, Smokeasac) but unlike many posthumous albums it's actually fantastically strong. Some of the lyrics certainly cut deep given Peep's eventual fate ("Took her to the crib and I show her how I die"/Lord why, Lord why, do I gotta wake up?") and the unheard collabs are well worth your attention. Musically it is raw, with guitar loops, trap drums and aching vocals all making it emotive to say the least. This one, then, will ensure Peep's spirit lives on strong.

Review: This excellent seven-inch single mines the rich seam of Terry Callier style folk-soul that is Jon Lucien's incredible 1973 album "Rashida". On the A-side you'll find the brilliantly breezy, horn-heavy samba-soul sunshine of "Would You Believe In Me", a song so beloved to Lucien that he re-recorded it several times later in his career. On the B-side you'll find the arguably even sweeter and more loved-up "Kuenda", where Lucien delivers attractive scat-style, double-racked freestyle vocals over a backing track rich in finger-picked folk guitar arpeggio lines and atmospheric field recordings of nature. It's a joyously simple track, but one that will stay with you for hours after you've put the record back on the shelf.

Review: Six time Grammy-nominated R&B icon Lucky Daye is back with new album Candydrip and it is yet another high watermark in a career full of them. This latest record was produced by longtime collaborator D'Mile and is a hybrid sound that manages to sound new and future as well as paying heed to the gene's rich tradition. The forlorn vocal manipulation lends the record that feeling of pain which defines so much good R&B and lyrical themes explore stardom next to plenty of impossibly catchy earworm melodies and slick beats.