In every Lady Blackbird song is the unmistakable sound of freedom. Harnessing a mighty voice that effortlessly embodies buffeting power, heart- rending yearning and soft, whispered balladry, Lady Blackbird has imbued her compositions since 2021’s critically acclaimed debut Black Acid Soul with a journeying independence. Hers is an instantly-recognisable sound capable of evoking joy one moment and heartache the next, a musical embrace of genres as varied as jazz, classic soul, gospel, psychedelic rock and pop. It is the hallmark of a visionary voice, on an Album that has landed on several ‘2024 Best Albums of the Year’ charts.

Yet, it is only now that she is embracing the full breadth of that musical freedom in her most personal and ambitious work to date: Slang Spirituals. “This is my journey of becoming,” she explains. “It’s me rewriting the book to show the world who I truly am. From being labelled a sinner to finding my acceptance.”

Across 11 tracks Lady Blackbird puts her sweeping, cinematic vocal power to use on everything from the soulful orchestral fanfares of “Let Not (Your Heart Be Troubled)” to the finger-picking folk storytelling of “Man On A Boat”, euphoric gospel empowerment of “Like A Woman” and the seven-minute psychedelic soul instrumental of “When The Game Is Played On You.” Collaborating once again with Black Acid Soul producer Chris Seefried, the pair produce a second album Slang Spirituals that not only embodies the freewheeling, emotive Lady Blackbird sound but that also taps into deeply vulnerable lyrics that recount the singer’s challenging ascent to musical stardom.