James Morrison

Not to be confused with the Aussie jazz trumpeter with whom he shares a name, this younger James Morrison is the Englishman whose natural excess of honeyed soul has elevated him head and shoulders above many of his singer-songwriter contemporaries. Debut single "You Give Me Something" (2006) was phenomenal, and since then he hasn't looked back. Here we've gathered highlights from his two albums to date, notably the standout Nelly Furtado duet, "Broken Strings", alongside a clutch of live tracks, including his big, warm version of Cat Stevens' "The First Cut Is the Deepest". Apparently, the gruff husk in his vocal has its origins in a near-fatal bout of childhood whooping cough. Like they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger . . . and, in Morrison's case, more soulful.