Ezra Collective won well-deserved critical and commercial acclaim for 2019's You Can't Steal My Joy, a raucous debut long-player laced with elements of Afrobeat, jazz, hip-hop, and grime. However, before they could take it on tour globally, the COVID-19 pandemic set in. They introduce the same musical chemistry on Where I'm Meant to Be and still employ massive doses of jazz-funk layered inside swinging Afrobeat, salsa, grime, and soul.On "Life Goes On" (featuring Sampa the Great), party sounds meet James Mollison's honking tenor sax, Femi Koleoso's funky beats, and Sampa's rapid-fire delivery as T.J. Koleoso's insistent bassline and Ife Ogunjobi's trumpet solo above Joe Armon-Jones' organ and piano vamps before massive funk arrives with a trumpet solo to carry it out. "Victory Dance" commences as a triple-timed drum and percussion orgy atop shouted human voices. Afro-Cuban-styled horns and hand percussion bump and burn before the horns usher in an Afro-Cuban theme. Armon-Jones enters, then takes off with rapid montunos as the tune moves to intense salsa with soaring trumpet. They don't let up when Kojey Radical fronts the band on the single "No Confusion." Anchored by T.J.'s circular funk bassline, the horns pulse in driving Afrobeat style above Femi's breaking snares and hi-hat while Armon-Jones lays down sinister chord voicings, adding to the rhythm section's heft as Radical syncopates his incendiary delivery. "Welcome to My World" is all groove and grit as post-bop and Afrobeat horns meet dubwise rhythms in a strutting frenzy. "Ego Killah" is strictly dubwise steaminess with double-time bass and piano vamps; interlocking drums and percussion rub against and buoy one another. That track is followed by the R&B-centric "Smile" led by Armon-Jones' crystalline jazz piano harmonies supported by a rhythm section playing smooth, gentle, neo-'80s soul. "Live Strong" inserts grooving '70s-styled funk into shimmering contemporary jazz piano and swinging horns. Emeli Sande assists on the livelier sounding "Siesta," offering her heavenly yet assertive soprano atop Rhodes piano, congas, bongos, and bass. "Belonging" arrives as interstellar space jazz with glorious soloing from Mollison and martial snare from Koleoso. Armon-Jones opens a harmonic door in the bridge as the tune begins to assert itself, wedding spacious spiritual jazz to driving neo-electro and funk. His knotty acoustic piano solos with both Koleosos in trio. The set closes with a reading of Sun Ra's "Love in Outer Space" as a finger-popping, smooth, jazzy, neo-soul jam with Nao (Neo Jessica Jones) emoting in her wispy, reedy soprano as T.J. Koleoso guides her with a slippery, resonant bassline framed by ascendant horns and spectral keys. While Where I'm Meant to Be is a logical follow-up to Ezra Collective's debut, it's a soulful, musically advanced, rhythmically infectious one, too.© Thom Jurek /TiVo

Expanding on the concept of Songs for Young Lovers!, In the Wee Small Hours was a collection of ballads arranged by Nelson Riddle. The first 12" album recorded by Sinatra, Wee Small Hours was more focused and concentrated than his two earlier concept records. It's a blue, melancholy album, built around a spare rhythm section featuring a rhythm guitar, celesta, and Bill Miller's piano, with gently aching strings added every once and a while. Within that melancholy mood is one of Sinatra's most jazz-oriented performances -- he restructures the melody and Miller's playing is bold throughout the record. Where Songs for Young Lovers! emphasized the romantic aspects of the songs, Sinatra sounds like a lonely, broken man on In the Wee Small Hours. Beginning with the newly written title song, the singer goes through a series of standards that are lonely and desolate. In many ways, the album is a personal reflection of the heartbreak of his doomed love affair with actress Ava Gardner, and the standards that he sings form their own story when collected together. Sinatra's voice had deepened and worn to the point where his delivery seems ravished and heartfelt, as if he were living the songs.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

In her memoir, Brandi Carlile sings the praises of The Secret Sisters. She loves them so much that she and bandmates Phil and Tim Hanseroth produced the duo's last two albums, including 2020's Grammy-nominated Saturn Return. Carlile's not back for Mind, Man, Medicine—John Paul White (formerly of his own great duo, the Civil Wars) and Ben Tanner have stepped in to co-produce with Alabama-born siblings Laura Rogers and Lydia Slagle (née Rogers)—but the sisters' Americana magic is still secure, as are their crystalline harmonies. In fact, they've never sounded better than on knockout track "Never Walk Away," as their voices circle each other like twisting vines climbing toward the sun. The velvety drama conjures up the feel of Roy Orbison and starts out with a solemn promise—"I would never walk away from you/ Never even got it in my head to"—before it abruptly, chillingly shifts: "And I am not your friend anymore ... You gave a parting gift in your departure/ One more favor I cannot return." The harmonies also particularly shine on dreamy "Space," co-written with the wonderful Jessie Baylin. Hushed, and so tender it's almost unbearable, "If the World Was a House" was co-written with Ruston Kelly, and it has the slightly doomed feel of his best songs: "If the world was a house and it was on fire/ Would we just put it out or let it burn higher?" the sisters sing. You can hear Carlile's influence, as well as that of the Everly Brothers, on sweet "Paperweight," which features fiddle by Larry Campbell (Paul Simon, Levon Helm). There are traditional folk moments ("I've Got Your Back"), gentle country shuffle ("Bear With Me") and hymnal solemnity ("Planted"). "I Needed You" features the orchestra of legendary FAME Studios of Muscle Shoals, the sisters' hometown. And in a truly excellent turn, Rogers and Slagle tap into a deep Bonnie Raitt vein and find a whole new area where they excel. "All the Ways" is a slow-burn stunner that features Ray LaMontagne, while "Same Water" is lush R&B soul, burnished with fiddle. It's all about contemplation and second guessing and the weight of the world, without sounding victimized. "So how is everybody doing out there?/ Are you spinning round, lost and found/ Do you feel it too?/ Is there even anybody out there?/ We're all drowning in the same water as you." © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz

The debut solo album by singer Camila Cabello, the eponymously titled Camila, is a warmly produced set of romantic pop punctuated by several rhythmically infectious Latin-influenced tracks informed by her Cuban heritage. Notably, Camila comes roughly two years after Cabello's much publicized departure from the all-female pop ensemble Fifth Harmony. While her exit begged some concerns (Was she a self-centered diva? Or just a singer with an abundance of personality and creative drive?), the release of several pre-album singles, most notably the deliciously steamy, piano-driven "Havana" (featuring rapper Young Thug), largely turned audiences in her favor. Purportedly, the reaction was so favorable it cause Cabellod (who was born in Cuba and raised in Miami) and her producers (Frank Dukes, Jarami, Skrillex, and others) to delay the album's release, adding songs that better reflected the Latin vibe of "Havana." Whatever the case, it worked, and there are several other Latin-inflected songs here, including the sultry, electronica-tinged, dancehall-ready "She Loves Control," and the buoyantly percussive, steel drum-flavored "Inside Out," in which Cabello sings briefly in Spanish. Along with the aforementioned "Havana," these are easily the most potent songs on the album, and showcase Cabello's effusively resonant voice and playful charisma. Elsewhere, cuts like the R&B-tinged anthem "All These Years" and the yearning, singer/songwriter-esque "Consequences" are emotionally resonant, lyrical songs that stick with you. There are also some nice, upbeat pop moments like the euphoric opener "Never Be the Same," with its falsetto pre-chorus and deftly placed Afro-Cuban drum sample. Similarly engaging is the steamy late-album banger "Into It," in which Cabello wryly coos to her would-be paramour, "Add up the things I wanna do to you, it's infinite/I mean...if you're into it." With tracks as contagious as "Into It" and "Havana," it's hard to imagine even the most resolute Fifth Harmony devotee not getting into it. Ultimately, Camila is a refreshing debut that makes good on Cabello's flight to pop freedom with songs that feel like they were borne out her own life experience and artistic point of view.© Matt Collar /TiVo

It is said that one grows wiser and mellower with age, as proven by this recording from Coleman Hawkins that is a successful follow-up to his previous Moodsville album At Ease. There is a difference, as Kenny Burrell joins the legendary tenor saxophonist in this quintet setting, with no threat of upstaging or even a hint of any real showcasing of the guitarist's then developing laid-back side. Underrated Ronnell Bright is on the piano, and also proves a veritable equal to Hawkins even more than Burrell. But it is the burgeoning talent of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Andrew Cyrille who mark their territory, not as the maverick individualists they would become, but as supple performers who understand the strength of Hawkins from a modest standpoint. Not all ballads, the fare is standard American popular song played for people sitting by the fire, the calm ocean, or late at night with a sweetheart over candles and wine. Any version of a well-known tune can be made classic by Hawkins, as heard during the somber "I'll Never Be The Same," the straight ballad "Under a Blanket of Blue" with the tenor's slight fluttery trills, or "Just a Gigolo" where the spotlight is firmly focused on the leader's droll tones. Burrell's strumming on "When Day Is Done" signifies a downplayed, wound down feeling, and where he generally chooses a sublimated role in these recordings, he does come out with a strong lead melody for the soulful ballad "More Than You Know." The modified tunes on the session are the midtempo take of "Moonglow" as Hawkins adopts some of Lester Young's swagger as Cyrille's nimble brushwork keeps the song moving forward. "Speak Low" is interpreted in a sleek and seductive calypso beat ably conjured by the drummer, a nice touch to end the album. This quintet -- as unique as any Hawkins ever fronted -- speaks to his open mindedness, but more so to his innate ability in adapting musicians to his situational hitting. The Hawk Relaxes is one of his best latter period efforts.© Michael G. Nastos /TiVo

Following the success of Crowded House's debut and the band's grueling promotion schedule, Neil Finn was clearly showing signs that he was no longer happy being New Zealand's zany ambassador to the U.S. While the material on Temple of Low Men demonstrates great leaps in quality over its predecessor, it is a darkly difficult album, especially for those expecting Crowded House, Pt. 2 -- in short, there are no immediately accessible singles. Instead, Finn digs into the depths of his emotional psyche with obsessive detail, crafting a set of intense, personal songs that range from the all-too-intimate look at infidelity of "Into Temptation" to the raucous exorcism of "Kill Eye." Through all of this introspective soul-searching, Finn reveals most of all his true mastery of melody.© Chris Woodstra /TiVo

From the beginning of Blues Dream, the listener knows that something special is going on. The spare notes of Ron Miles' trumpet and the relaxed guitar work of Greg Leisz lay the groundwork for a spacious sound on the title cut. This openness remains throughout the album, even when alto and trombone are added into the mix. The instrumental "Ron Carter" begins with the loose, electrified feel of an early Miles Davis fusion piece, with Bill Frisell's distorted guitar exploring the space of the piece without resorting to excessive volume. The short and sweet "Pretty Stars Were Made to Shine" leans heavier on the country side, with steel guitar and Chet Atkins' fingerpicking dominating. The arrangements on Blues Dream are a big change from last year's solo effort, Ghost Town. An essential part of the overall sound is Leisz' steel guitar and lap steel work. He also played with Frisell on Good Dog, Happy Man, and helps to set the mood and pace throughout Blues Dream. Ron Miles plays a smaller role, but it is fascinating how well his relaxed trumpet, with its carefully chosen notes, fits into the mix on the title cut and the short "Episode." Blues Dream is a perfectly chosen title: the material, steeped in the blues, is approached in a lazy, dreamlike fashion. Frisell's fondness for putting unusual combinations of instruments together adds to the overall effect, leaving the listener to wonder why no one has ever tried this before. Blues Dream is a lovely release that should satisfy Frisell fans as well as jazz, country, and blues fans looking for a genre-bending experience.© Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. /TiVo

Although she wasn't anointed Indie Spice by the British music press until after the Spice Girls' second album, Melanie Chisholm always made it clear that she preferred Blur to Take That. Of course, her personal musical tastes never surfaced on the Spices' albums, which may be the reason she is the first Spice to release a solo album while still in the group. With her debut, Northern Star, Mel C wants to break from her Sporty Spice persona while proving herself as a legitimate musician and she does, more or less, with a surprisingly diverse record. Melanie C has a fairly strong voice, a good sense of melody, and carries a tune with some personality, which is one of the reasons why the genre-hopping of Northern Star works. She can convincingly deliver everything from the pop balladry of the title track to the snarling, neo-industrial punk statement of purpose "Goin' Down." And it's a good thing that she can sound convincing on a variety of different styles, since Northern Star attempts to summarize pop music circa 1999. It begins with "Go!," a William Orbit-produced slice of swinging '60s pop with electronica underpinnings, and closes with the ballad "Feel the Sun." In between, she tries a bit of everything -- Brit pop on "Suddenly Monday," post-Garbage modern rock on "Ga Ga," techno-inflected dance on "I Turn to You," urban balladry on "Never Be the Same Again" (complete with a rap by Left Eye Lopes), and melodic adult pop on "Why." Certainly, that's a bit more stylistically schizophonic than Geri Halliwell's album, but that's its charm. It's not a knock-out, yet Northern Star is a solid, well-crafted alterna-pop of modest but palpable charms.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

He's been part of two huge-selling international superstar rock groups, and recorded some very popular albums on his own and with David Crosby. Yet Graham Nash has never been thought of as a talent in his own right the way that, to varying degrees, either of his three bandmates in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young have. This three-CD, 64-track box set can be seen as both a way of focusing the spotlight on Nash's work both within and outside of his famous bands, and also as a career retrospective of sorts, spanning as it does about 40 years of recordings. Like almost all such box sets, however, it won't be as balanced as everyone would like between his various career phases and contexts, or contain as much in the way of revelatory rarities as some would hope. To start with the set's strengths, certainly it includes virtually all of the material for which Nash is most known as a songwriter, and to some degree as a lead singer. All of the major songs he wrote as part of CSN (or CSNY) are here in their celebrated official versions, prominent among them "Marrakesh Express," "Pre-Road Downs," "Our House," and "Teach Your Children." So is his sole Top 40 hit single, "Chicago"; highlights from his first/best/most commercially successful solo album, Songs for Beginners; and numerous tracks from his collaborative efforts with Crosby. The 150-page booklet has lots of photos and insightful comments on each track by Nash himself.It should be noted, however, that although half of cuts are previously unreleased, about two-thirds of these are alternate mixes of officially issued tracks, not actual alternate versions or recordings previously unavailable in any form. Among the genuinely alternate versions/previously unreleased recordings, only a 1969 solo acoustic demo of "Right Between the Eyes" rates as a notable find, though a live 1993 version of "Liar's Nightmare" (with Nils Lofgren on guitar) and the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack contribution "Love Is the Reason" count as interesting rarities. Even considering that he didn't have sole songwriting credits until joining CSN, the Hollies period seems underrepresented, with just three tracks by that group finding inclusion (all 1967 hits, including the one on which Nash's songwriting ambitions were most evident, "King Midas in Reverse"). And there's no denying that disc one, with the highlights of his late-'60s/early-'70s work, is by far the best of the three CDs, much of the rest coming off as undistinguished in comparison. It's the music on the first disc for which Nash will mostly be remembered. His subsequent output, as documented on the remainder of the set, was too often ordinary soft rock that, unlike his earlier work, did not capture either the musical or cultural Zeitgeist. It's also true that, for CSN fans in particular, it can seem odd hearing so much Nash-dominated material at once when it works so much better interspersed with the compositions and lead singing of his famous bandmates. Nevertheless, as a songwriter he remained consistently devoted to themes of peace, progressive politics, and adult romance, even when those weren't fashionable to promote as idealistically as Nash has. For all its ups and downs, this is the release likely to most effectively spotlight and summarize the contributions to rock music that he's made as a singer/songwriter.© Richie Unterberger /TiVo

James Carter celebrated 2000 by putting out two vastly different albums at the same time, an amazing concession from a major label for a jazz artist who doesn't sell in Kenny G-like proportions. Chasin' the Gypsy, as you might guess, is an homage to Django Reinhardt, whose music Carter used to dig on Detroit radio when he was a teenager, but Carter doesn't take the predictable reverent path in paying his respects. He rummages through his closet and pulls out a rarely used bass saxophone on three cuts -- the bumpy sounds are often comic yet a comfortable fit for his antic style -- and even tries out an F mezzo sax on the exotically relaxed "Oriental Shuffle." Back on tenor, Carter's slippery playing often doesn't hesitate to approach the outside; he keeps his sense of humor and his individual quirks intact. Most of the tunes are Django's yet the one that comes closest to evoking the frantic Hot Club Quintette drive is Carter's own title track, a madcap chase indeed with Carter on wild soprano sax this time. A nostalgic accordion underpins the tango-like "Nuages" á la Piazzolla; violinist Regina Carter provides the Stephane Grappelli-like foil on a few tracks (she does all right but could be a bit looser); and Jay Berliner and Romero Lubambo occasionally summon the ghost of Django with their respectively steel and nylon-stringed solo and rhythm guitar work. Mostly, this is a delightful departure for Carter, though probably destined to be a one-off excursion.© Richard S. Ginell /TiVo

Say what you want about Empire Burlesque -- at the very least, it's the most consistent record Bob Dylan has made since Blood on the Tracks, even if it isn't quite as interesting as Desire. However, it is a better set of songs, all deriving from the same place and filled with subtle gems -- the most obvious being "Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love?)," but also "Emotionally Yours" and "Dark Eyes" -- proving that his powers are still there. The rest of the album may not be as graceful, but it's still well-crafted songwriting that never fails to be interesting. The record's biggest flaw is its state-of-the-art production; this is every bit as slick as Street Legal, but now sounds more focused and more of its time -- thanks to a reliance on synthesizers and mildly sequenced beats -- than it did upon its original release. All this makes Empire Burlesque seem more transient than it actually is, since -- discounting the production -- this is as good as Dylan gets in his latter days.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo