Shine, the stateside debut of British femcee/vocalist Estelle is one of the most stylistically persuasive new artist releases in years. With a voice that can is seductively cool as evidenced on “More Than Friends” and the sassy “Wait A Minute (Just A Touch),” the 28-year-old is direct and blunt. Her wonderful cover of Gregory Isaacs’ dub classic “(No) Substitute Lover” is just one example of her array of styles. She also performs reggae, pop and hip-hop with ease. Echoing sounds of both Lauryn Hill and contemporaries like Lily Allen, Shine is a bright spot in a year of dull new releases. -dusty culpepper

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