A new name doesn't mean any less talent. Shelley, who first came to fame as D. R. A. M. after collaborating with Lil Yachty on the hit Broccoli in 2016, has switched up his identity for his second album, Shelley FKA DRAM. For this album, which has a much more organic feel, the artist has brought together a variety of different producers while still managing to maintain a strikingly consistent sound throughout. His team contains the ubiquitous Watt, who also featured on the single The Lay Down by the singer H. E. R. This is a superb soul/R&B effort which doesn't hold back emotionally. The final, long guitar solo shows how central instruments are to this album. The singer rages on Beautiful or on the fine cover of Something About Us by Daft Punk, then fades away on the energetic Rich & Famous, which lends a funk colouring to the end of the record. His musical promiscuity could have led Shelley astray, but this album is superbly consistent, like a kind of modern nu-soul, unexpected, and very welcome. © Brice Miclet/Qobuz