We’re changing a few things here at The House That Soul Built, shifting towards a semi-regular newsletter with a round-up of the new singles, albums, and throwback pleasures coming our way!

New singles

José James – ‘Saturday Night (Need You Now)’

José James channels his love for ’70s disco with the Michael Jackson and Chic-inspired joint ‘Saturday Night (Need You Now’), co-written with Talia Billig (Moby, Aloe Blacc) and Kaveh Rastegar (Bruno Mars, Cee-Lo Green). The single is taken from James’ upcoming album 1978 (released this April).

Ledisi feat. Kenny Lattimore – ‘Perfect Stranger’

Place two of R&B’s finest voices on a sensual slow-jam and ‘Perfect Stranger’ is the result. Ledisi’s purring, yearning vocal and Kenny Lattimore’s characteristic croon are an absolute joy on this number.

New albums

Sy Smith – Until We Meet Again

It’s been six years since Sy Smith’s landmark project Sometimes a Rose Will Grow in Concrete. Like its predecessor, Until We Meet Again – this time with production from Zo! and Tall Black Guy, and released on Phonte and Nicolay’s Foreign Exchange Music label – is marked by a jazzy, soulful featheriness that beguiles the listener with each play. Smith is a stylist and storyteller in equal measure, her vocals evoking the sensuality of Janet Jackson, the sweetness of Diana Ross, and the whistle tones of Minnie Riperton. The standout track is ‘Why Do You Keep Calling Me’, which begins deceptive in its softness before rising to an anguished climax. She delivers a heartfelt paean of reassurance with the swirling, meditative ‘Always Pick Up For You’ and quickens the pace in the album’s second half with the nifty syncopations of ‘Slide’ and the Brazilian flavoured ‘Masterclass’ (featuring Sheila E. and Leo Amuedo). She is joined by Tracey Lee and Dontae Winslow on the nostalgia-powered ‘Summer of ’93’, topped off with a coquettish rap.

Throwback finds

Deniece Williams – ‘So Deep In Love

Eclipsed by the success of subsequent album Let’s Hear It for the Boy, Deniece Williams’ I’m So Proud is an excellent synthy pop soul, the standout being this duet with Johnny Mathis. Singing over icy piano and thumping bass, Williams’ lithe voice marries seductively with Mathis’ rich tenor.