Listeners familiar with keyboardist/vocalist Amp Fiddler before his pair of 2002/2003 12" releases likely knew him through his associations with Detroit house figure Moodymann and, to a greater extent, his run-ins with George Clinton and Prince. In 1990, he also recorded an album with his brother Bubz, released under the name Mr. Fiddler; this project came and went without much notice, mostly because it failed to fit in with much of anything else at the time. Come 2003, however, you couldn't be a house head or read a dance-music-for-grown-folks magazine without hearing him or reading about him. In addition to the singles, Fiddler was the star of the phenomenal Moodymann production "I'm Doing Fine," credited to Amp Dog Knight, as well as Only Child's upbeat disco-house track "U Bring Me Vibes." He also played a role in the Carl Craig-helmed Detroit Experiment, providing keys work and doing the vocal duties on a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Too High." After a couple decades spent floating around, Fiddler finally came up with his first solo album. Most of the cuts from those singles reappear here in slightly different forms, while the remainder is all new. Just like the Mr. Fiddler album, Waltz of a Ghetto Fly is something of an anomaly, mixing up the occasional 4/4 house track with funky R&B that's reminiscent of There's a Riot Goin' On-era Sly Stone (this goes beyond the references to "You Caught Me Smilin'" in "You Played Me") and Fiddler's past connections. Since the house tracks also draw heavily upon '70s funk, the album is more cohesive than you'd expect. Throughout, Fiddler maintains a steady, assured, laid-back flow. Even at his most aggressive -- as on the protest song "Love and War" (with backing courtesy of Moodymann) and the sweaty "Superficial" -- it goes down smoothly and richly, as suitable for background listening as it is a get-together. Hearing Fiddler's voice -- alternating between a butter-smooth croon and a deep-throated yowl -- and sensitive keyboard wriggles throughout the course of an entire album is a pure joy.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

With her tragic early death (though hardly surprising given Amy Winehouse's lifestyle) a truly unique voice of contemporary soul stopped singing on July 23, 2011. She has a voice that should never be overshadowed either by her chaotic life covering the pages of British tabloids, or by her struggles with alcohol and drugs, or even the hundreds of videos of failed concerts on YouTube... When the Winehouse phenomenon exploded with this second album, the sublime Back To Black being far superior to her first record Frank, soul music was going through a slump with hollow, syrupy R&B singers and sanitized productions flooding the scene. Few people tried to develop the path established by Aretha Franklin, Ann Peebles, Nina Simone, Tina Turner, Dinah Washington and Marlena Shaw. But then along came Amy Winehouse, with her incredible timbre, her genuine songs (which she wrote herself, unlike 90% of her peers), her vintage-tinged productions (which were never passé) and brass-filled instrumentation. To top it all off, even her image was distinctive: 50’s beehive, biker tattoos and a cheeky attitude. Back To Black topped the charts for months all over the world, and it's still a real masterpiece of soul music and R&B. When critical opinion meets popular opinion – something relatively rare that’s worth underlining - the enjoyment is only tenfold. © Marc Zisman/Qobuz

Jonathan Demme's creative direction and this group's brilliance make for an unusual live performance event. Starting solo with David Byrne, each song brings another band member to the stage until the full band kicks in. With Bernie Worrell on keyboards and a strong hit-filled set from the Speaking in Tongues tour, this is definitely worth checking out.© Scott Bultman /TiVo

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe aren't often discussed as one of pop music's great songwriting teams, but the wonderfully eclectic body of work they've created as Pet Shop Boys speaks for itself. Since crashing into the mainstream with 1985's chart-topper, "West End Girls," the London duo have delivered a remarkably consistent barrage of tightly crafted synth pop singles that fuse dance culture with trenchant cultural commentary and an undeniable sense of melodic grace. Each of their 14 albums has reached the U.K. Top Ten, and they've sent an astonishing 42 singles into the Top 30, including number ones like "It's a Sin" and "Heart." A bevy of compilations have celebrated Pet Shop Boys' highlights over the years, and 1991's Discography: The Complete Singles Collection was a significant number three hit itself. 2023's Smash: The Singles 1985-2020 is essentially an update of the aforementioned collection and contains, in chronological order, each of their singles from this 35-year period. In unpacking its 55-song sequence, the first thing one notices is the uniform quality of their songs: elegantly constructed, dense with pop nutrients, undeniably catchy, yet ever so smart. Tennant is an underrated vocalist who has continually pushed his range over the years, balancing wry asides and spoken word sections with his reedy and surprisingly nimble tenor. Lowe's ear for a catchy hook is another defining element and ranges from subtle (1990's droll standout "Being Boring") to grandiose (2013's marvelous banger "Love Is a Bourgeois Construct"). What's more, the pair has assembled this durable catalog almost without interruption, reliably delivering singles, albums, remixes, and EPs almost annually since their debut. Work ethic and quality don't always go hand in hand, but Pet Shop Boys have both in spades.© Timothy Monger /TiVo

We love Laufey, and Laufey loves love, as demonstrated on her sophomore album Bewitched. The Los Angeles-based Chinese/Icelandic chantress sweeps us away, reminding us all what it is like to be young and in love. Whether it's love for a friend, a lover, or a love of life, this release is sure to open your eyes, ears and heart. Laufey leans effortlessly into her suave jazz edges, and with huge payoff. From the opening track "Dreamer," the listener is transported to a mid-century era of Jule Styne-esque musicals and films. Bewitched beautifully showcases her deep, full-bodied vocals and storytelling prowess, which she has masterfully developed since her enchanting debut Everything I Know About Love.  Laufey even flexes her compositional skills beyond just songwriting on instrumental track "Nocturne (Interlude)" and on "Promise," where her sweeping arrangements are performed by the London Philharmonia, whose film score credits include Battle of the Bulge and Oliver Twist. From captivating vocal jazz ballads to epic orchestral pop like "Lovesick" (the kind of track you could see the lead character of a romcom betting from a car window), Laufey seamlessly connects different musical histories and genres. Listening to Bewitched is like being dipped in and out of the pinnacle love scene of 14 different films, and you're not sure whether you want to dance, cry or sing jubilantly. The latest jewel in Laufey's illustrious growing crown. © Jessica Porter-Langson / Qobuz

Dream Box is Pat Metheny's third date for BMG's Modern Recordings, a set of nine solo tunes for electric guitar, drawn from a folder on his laptop's hard drive. Metheny often records new ideas, covers, or standards by playing them once. During 160 days of touring in 2022, he had ample time to survey the folder's contents. He was surprised when the music he had little memory of recording revealed these "moments in time" as an organic whole. Further, all but one original had compositional roots in the method utilized on "Unity Village" on 1976's Bright Size Life -- an initial harmonic scheme buoyed by a second offering melodic and improvisational sequences. This program contains six original compositions, two standards, and a cover. Longtime fans will find little save for guitar tone in common with earlier solo records such as 1979's New Chautauqua or 2011's What's It All About. It does bear aesthetic and emotional relation to 2004's One Quiet Night, a set of ballads recorded at home solo on an acoustic baritone guitar.One of Metheny's aesthetic signatures is an often euphoric character in his composing and playing. While that's absent here, emotion, vulnerability, and poignancy aren't. The sparse chords and melodic line that introduce opener "The Waves Are Not the Ocean" are gently presented to the listener without adornment save for the dictates of its lyric harmony. The spaces between whispered chord voicings carry the listener's heart alongside. "From the Mountains" seemingly underscores that flavor with a slightly darker yet more majestic Latin-tinged melody. "Trust Your Angels" is lilting, tender, and expository in its impressionistic use of the blues, à la mentors Jim Hall and Charlie Haden. The first four originals are followed by two elegantly wrought covers. The first is a harmonically and rhythmically re-envisioned reading of Russell Vernon Longstreth's (aka Russ Long) obscure yacht rock classic "Never Was Love." Metheny's version strips away the sheen of pop artifice, revealing the sophisticated nature of its intricate blue melody. Sammy Cahn's "I Fall in Love Too Easily" is rendered with a similar approach to the one pianist Bill Evans articulated on 1962's Moon Beams. Metheny's gentle use of reverb adds an additional multi-phonic voice as he hovers between single string melody, chord changes, and the mysterious innovative shapes he employs as bridges between. The other standard is Luiz Bonfa's "Morning of the Carnival" ("Manha de Carnival"). Unlike the many jazz versions out there, Metheny's realization closely adheres to Bonfa's save for a subtle meld of samba and cumbia rhythms. When Metheny states the melody, he offers contrasting melodic voices on top, culminating in a warm, pointed solo. Set closer "Clouds Can't Change the Sky" is another listener-enveloping ballad composed in sections. Its lyric statement is followed first by abstraction in tone, texture, and tempo before establishing a second melody from that investigation, resolving them both. The electric guitar ballads on Dream Box offer unvarnished introspection, uncanny musical vision, and gorgeous technique.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

With Paranoïa, Angels, True Love, Christine And The Queens embarks on a long spiritual journey, with Madonna as their guiding high priestess. The two artists met in 2015 during a concert by the American, when Madonna had invited him to go on stage to choreograph a few dance steps. For this album, Christine And the Queens called on her to speak instead of sing. Seduced by the sheer madness of the project, Madonna agreed to take part in three songs (Angels Crying in My Bed, I Met an Angel and Lick the Light Out). Christine And The Queens wanted to salute this iconic voice "which speaks with all the facets inscribed in our consciousness, taking on multiple forms and roles, from the maternal figure to the dominatrix". As for the second feature of the album, the American singer and rapper 070 Shake, who can be heard on True Love and Let Me Touch You Once, makes an appearance. The spiritual form of Paranoïa, Angels, True Love owes a lot to the music produced by Mike Dean (who works with Jay-Z and Beyoncé). Often coated with a trip hop colour that reflects the multiple influences of Christine And The Queens, the tracks cede the place of honour to spectrally high strings and ecstatic electric guitar solos. We also hear a mystical cover of Canon de Pachelbel (Full of Life). Finally, this album is a way for Christine and the Queens to showcase the full range of their voice, which has never been so mixed and reverberated, for it to have maximum effect (A Day in the Water). Paranoia, Angels, True Love can be perceived as the singer's tribute to a highly determined English-speaking pop, but the air of strange musical comedy shows that this resolutely atypical object belongs only to them. © Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz