Yola, ‘walk Through Fire’

Yola hails from the United Kingdom, but there isn't a hint of Britishness on Walk Through Fire, her 2019 full-length debut. Walk Through Fire is steeped in Southern soul traditions, leaning heavily on the cross-cultural pollinations of the late '60s, where country, soul, pop, and rock intersected so thoroughly, there rarely seemed to be a boundary separating the styles. Yola follows a similar stylistic aesthetic. She's as likely to write a country song ("Walk Through Fire") as she is to testify with the passion of a gospel choir ("It Ain't Easier"), but much of her debut exists in a nuanced netherworld, where R&B tunes are given a pop treatment and vice versa.

Mojo Rising 2019 brings you the up-and-coming sounds of Amyl & The Sniffers, Fontaines DC, Faye Webster, Jessica Pratt, Black Midi, Weyes Blood, Mattiel, Jamila Woods, Modern Nature, Nérija, Mdou Moctar and more.