Do yourself a favour and listen to Yola’s new album Stand For Myself; it’s a sonic tonic that we all really need right now.

Yola is from Bristol in the UK but lives in Nashville.

Stand For Myself is her second album, and it defies categorization. She’s versatile and incorporates elements from many different genres including soul, rock, gospel and doo-wop, which creates a distinctly American sound.

Indeed, the whole album sounds like an American classic rather than a brand-new 2021 release.

It is in an instant classic, and even though many of the songs here are about heartache and hardship, Yola presents them in such an uplifting way that she represents hope and optimism.

The whole thing is a triumph.