Back catalogue: Blues

Review: A multifaceted personality, 24-year-old breakout folk star Maya Delilah shares The Long Way Round on Decca Records, fresh off the back of a Spotify "One To Watch" award. "I get so influenced by different genres, people, places, and experiences that it's always felt hard for me to fit my music into a consistent sound or mood," the singer said in a statement. Forerun by the likes 'Squeeze' and 'Necklace', Delilah's vocals are breathy and her backing instrumentals smooth, tinged with the torrid strokes of Ayers-esque sunshine funk. Recorded between LA and London, the record flags up themes from cyclical relationships to predestination, with Delilah feeling that the record expresses a future nostalgia for someone she's never met before.

Review: Americana trio The Devil Makes Three bring us their first album since the 2018 release, Chains are Broken. And good things come to those who wait as the saying goes. The California natives have traded the more electrified sound of the previous album and returned to their stripped-down roots, whilst still pushing sonic boundaries with a lush atmospheric feel throughout. A big stand out is 'Hard Times', which is a banjo-flecked banger that feels like a nod to Woody Guthrie thanks to its empathy with people who are struggling and it takes aim at neoliberalism: "It's hard, hard, hard times / They'll charge you dollars / While they're paying you in dimes/ When they said it was going to trickle down / You know that they were lying." What a likeable bunch.

Review: Originally released in 1972, Dr John's fifth album is an upfront tribute to his inimitable hometown of New Orleans. A collection of covers, tracks chosen from the almost-endless archives of classic blues, jazz and creole tracks that have come out of the Big Easy over the preceding century or so. It also marked something of a character and stylistic sidestep for the legendary Louisiana player. Building a cult following and rather unique reputation for his eccentric stage performances and often pretty left-of-the-middle songwriting and arrangements, by comparison Dr John's Gumbo plays it much straighter, making this an authentic and respectful tribute to rhythm and blues as it has long been played. That's no criticism - the same masterful musicianship remains very much intact, while the personality still shines through. Simply put, the songs have been done again and again, but this album could only be Dr John.