West Midlands-born Jorja Smith is a wise soul. The prodigious musical chops that landed her guest spots with the likes of Drake (“Get It Together”) and Kali Uchis (“Tyrant”) rub shoulders with her intellectual precocity, as heard on the 2016 tune “Blue Lights”, a heart-wrenching R&B exploration of why black men run from the police. Her songwriting showcases a magpie ear for old soul and jazz-era sensibilities (“Carry Me Home”, “Beautiful Little Fools”), particularly in the way she plays with her vocals: soaring soprano one moment and deeply heartbroken the next.