Days & Nights

If a song like "Look Up" from Daley's debut—with its summery string section and head-nodding beat—transports you to the days of soul maestros like Bill Withers and Al Green, that's no coincidence: Daley counts such artists among his influences, mixing their sound with that of sleek garage and minimalist dubstep. "Be" combines somber piano chords with skittering synths and a mechanical beat, its melancholy vibe couched in the music's robotic grooves. This mix of the synthetic and organic crops up again on tracks like "Time Travel" and "Pass It On," whereas "Love and Affection" stands out with its simple guitar arrangement: all the better to spotlight the singer's confident vocal, which strikes that just-right balance of vulnerability and strength. Such a balance is the mark of a talented soul singer, regardless of the mix of genres and eras in his or her sound.