Queen alone

"All the hallmarks of proper soul are here: fluttering melodic guitars à la Bobby Womack/Curtis Mayfield; horns locked as tight as a new couple's clinch; drums that make you dance or sway; songs that don't throw all the emotions in the pot at the outset. That latter point is crucial: there are no shortage of singers with a soul sound, but most don't have the feeling for the music and tend to fly straight to the pinnacle, leaving nothing for the climax of the song. I don't know if her ability to hold back is down to Ms Wray or the producers' skills at handling vocalists, but either way this works big time".

"Nicole Wray's gospel-charged soul voice, heard on Black Keys' Blakroc and Brothers, is massively recommended".