Search dance music

Review: Cleo Sol has emerged on Forever Living Originals alongside the avant-gospel sensation of Sault, and in an understated way she's quickly positioned herself as one of the most compelling, original voices in UK soul. Hot on the heels of Heaven comes her third LP Gold, and it's another masterclass in low-key but wholly intentional production framing some of the most arresting singing and songwriting you're likely to hear all the way through 2024. On Gold especially there's a tendency towards a cosy, in-the-room sound from the live kit and warm keys to the subtle undercurrent of soundsystem mixing attitude, and it makes for an album you'll want to live in for days on end.

Review: Spoken word artist and saxophonist Alabaster De Plum has been involved with some fantastic album projects in recent years such as his To Cty & Lee solo album and a collab with Danalogue - a producer best-known for his work with Snapped Ankles and the Comet is Coming - on Total Refreshment Centre. Now he lands on Chicago's revered International Anthem with Gold, which here is presented as a deluxe version on heavyweight gatefold. It's a tender album that "celebrates the spirit of being unconventional" and does so well.