Sholto – The Sirens

SHOLTO's The Sirens is the London artist's third album, written and recorded at his SFJ studio in Hackney and shaped by a vivid mythic frame. Drawing on siren imagery, allegory and a carnivalesque atmosphere, it turns ancient symbols into a contemporary set of questions about temptation, duality and emotional dislocation. That gives the record a useful sense of purpose from the start: this is cinematic jazz with an inner narrative, not just a collection of moods.

Musically, SHOLTO builds on the groove-rooted, string-soaked approach heard on earlier releases, but here the beauty is pushed toward something more haunted and unsettled. Hazy vocals, tender jazz harmonies, hypnotic rhythms, harp and strings all play central roles, creating a dreamlike pull that suits titles like Persephone's Perception, Tied to the Mast and Lamia. The album's emotional core came from a period of uncertainty and spiritual fatigue, which helps explain why its lush arrangements never feel merely decorative.

The Sirens also deepens the collaborative sound world SHOLTO has been building around him. Syd Kemp returns on bass, with Clementine Brown on strings and Rachel Horton Kitchlew on harp, while guests Phoebe Coco, Tom McBrien and Lea Petges bring key vocal colour across the 12-track set. Early support from Gilles Peterson and airplay across BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 3, Jazz FM and NTS point to how strongly this mix of soul, jazz and cinematic atmosphere has connected.