Some choice throwback cuts with impressive vocals throughout

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Ledisi probably has one of the biggest voices in contemporary soul music, challenging the likes of Jennifer Hudson in terms of sheer power. But she is also an agile singer who can shine as much when caressing the lyric than when going for the jugular.

Her vocals are the highlight of her sixth studio album The Wild Card – her first studio release since 2017’s Grammy-nominated Let Love Rule. There is a rich, satiny texture to her instrument, particularly as she takes a lyric and squeezes it for emphasis. She punctuates certain syllables with a throaty twang and occasionally shoots into that slightly raspy, brassy top-end. She loosens the reins on several numbers – serving up the powerful sangin’ that listeners have come to expect from Ledisi, particularly in her live performances.

Her vocal guides the listener through a good but uneven collection, occasionally let down by some underwhelming material. Tracks like ‘Stone’, ‘Now or Never’, and ‘Where You At’ have little but Ledisi’s delivery in their favour. The album’s lone cover, a version of Badfinger’s ‘Without You’ (popularised by Harry Nilsson and then Mariah Carey), sits somewhat oddly on the collection. She would have fared better by keeping the stripped-back piano/vocal arrangement which she begins with.

But there is still lots to enjoy on this independently-produced release. Lead single ‘Anything For You’ will delight fans of the neo-soul love ballad (check out her gorgeous rendition with P.J. Morton). She delivers a cool performance on the bluesy ‘Next Time’, inspired by Jeff Buckley’s ‘Everybody Hear Wants You’, as she severs ties with a duplicitous lover. ‘I don’t care if you say you love me / Too little too late / Don’t care if you can’t live without me / You’ve dug your grave.’ On the bass-heavy ‘WKND’ Ledisi channels 80s R&B (think Alexander O’Neal). The more electronic ‘In It To Win’, where the album’s title is taken from, unwinds into a catchy anthem of resolve and determination. ‘What Kinda Love is That’ (featuring Cory Henry) has the album’s most arresting groove and Ledisi’s most nuanced vocal. Harking back to the sounds of 90s neo-soul, Ledisi and her supporting musicians jam nicely throughout.

“I wanted some gutbucket music that reminds me of being in a juke joint where you have the pool table and lawn chairs with some brown liquor,” she explains.

Standout tracks: ‘Anything For You’, ‘Next Time’, ‘What Kinda Love Is That’