I must admit I first stumbled upon Cleo Sol only a few months ago while listening to a very special BBC 6 radio show curated by the one and only Róisín Murphy. It was the multi-layered, luxuriously produced "One" and it literally left me speechless... The exquisitely sung "One" is an amalgamation of neo-soul, nu jazz, 1970's psychedelia dipped in an ocean of strings, choirs, exotic instruments, Sol's own vocal acrobatics and diva reminiscences vibrating between the worlds of Minnie Riperton, Roberta Flack and Amy Winehouse. "One" sounds both charmingly retro and unique. A single so rich and impressive I could simply not imagine another track reaching anywhere near its splendour. And yet this London based singer-songwriter has ensorcelled me once more with the delectably smooth "Sweet Blue". That effortless coolness, immaculate Inflo-penned production, vintage-flavoured vibes, pizzazz and THAT voice!!! So here they are, both songs already trending very promisingly among my mid-year Best Of 2019 cherry-picks.
