New York songwriter Stephanie McKay has been keeping a low profile up to now, despite having performed with such luminaries as Tricky, Kelis and Mos Def. Thankfully, she's finally got around to making her solo debut - and the result is one of the very best soul albums you'll hear all year. Unlike many so-called divas, McKay realises that you don't have to scream the house down to get your point across, and her languid vocals work a treat on this lavish concoction of brooding funk and elegant trip-hop. The tasteful addition of squelchy beats and scratchy vinyl grooves, meanwhile, makes perfect sense when you realise that the production duties are handled by Geoff Barrow of Portishead fame. The result is a blissful fusion of classical and modern soul music that heralds the arrival of an exciting new talent.

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