Hip-hop

For Lovers, Dreamers, & Me by Alice Smith has the right sound in contemporary American music. I use this egregious nomenclature because Smith has a sound and voice that resists comparison on easy terms. It is neither gritty Soul nor breezy Pop, or relies just on the vocal-techniques that dominate R&B and the polished restraint of modern Jazz singers. She oscillates and blends those styles into a compelling debut that should not have been overlooked in its release last year.