Ego Ella May is an extraordinary London talent, mindfully sculpting her gentle, captivating jazz with socio-conscious lyricism, vocals as dark and nourishing as golden pollen honey, and innovative production styles. Following her wonderful debut album So Far, there have been a stream of singles in preparation for her second album, aptly titled Honey For Wounds, it flawlessly sums up Ego's sound and spirit. Opening track 'Alright' (ft. Theo Crocker) sets the tone for the album, with gentle, rising organ chords, and Ego's soul-inflected vocals, which are layered in a stack of nurturing, breathy harmonies which reassure 'Im alright'. The sleepy beat begins to rise from under the sand in which it was initially buried, lapping like ocean waves hitting the shore, giving the song a Portishead-style trip hop vibe. Grammy-nominated Theo Crocker's trumpet playing closes the song - it's colourful, yet muted vibrations swim like fish under water. 'Alright' is the perfect opener to an utterly sublime body of work. -Ellie Rose-Davies