Omar

After a five-year recording hiatus during which times he's built his own studio, set up his own label and toured like a madman, the one and only Omar is back. Sing (If You Want It) released on May 15th is the British soul supremo's sixth and perhaps funkiest album so far. It's an inspiring collection of jazzy, soulful tracks with Omar's unmistakable, signature sound.

Early track ‘Sing' is a great light and uplifting piece of nu-soul with excellent harmonies, ‘Kiss It Right' is a funky slice of groove and “It's So' is a sparkling latin-tinged number. Collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Angie Stone and Common live up to the hype the names suggest. ‘Feeling You' is irrepressibly funky and melodic with Stevie Wonder punctuating the track at the end and Angie shines on the gorgeous laid-back ballad ‘All for Me'. 'Gimme Sum' a bit of a UK vs. US track, has Common teaming with Brit hop legend Rodney P and rising MC Ashman for an atmospheric and vibrant song.

It's been worth the wait, Omar delivers an excellent album brimming with soul and funk. It's the perfect record for this summer.