Bernhoft - Solidarity Breaks (2011)

Armed with an array of pedal loops and a versatile vocal style capable of skipping from beatboxer to Stevie Wonder-esque soul man, Norwegian singer/songwriter Jarle Bernhoft continues to develop his one-man band routine on his second studio album, Solidarity Breaks. The Oslo-based former Explicit Lyrics and Span frontman's follow-up to 2008's Ceramik City Chronicles is a mixture of acoustic R&B, Prince-inspired funk, and impassioned soul ballads, and includes the singles "Cmon Talk" (the track that helped introduce him to U.S. audiences following a performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show) and "Choices." -- Jon O'Brien