It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Newcastle-based Lulu James, but her surprise new single ‘It’s The Time’ is a potent, striking return to form. Following collaborations with Gorgon City and Jon Hopkins over the past year or so - James appears to have given her sound a bit of a rethink. Stripping everything back on the new single, her resplendent voice glides over the top of sparse, experimental instrumentation - only using what is absolutely necessary. Beautifully simple, the track is a “melodramatic 21st century soul track” - according to Lulu herself. Working with Danish producer/writer Ronni Vindahl (Mø, Casi etc) on the new cut - she sounds reinvigorated - and hopefully this will be the start of another fruitful year or so for Lulu James. -JC