I Cry When I Laugh

Even if you haven’t heard of Jess Glynne, chances are you’ve heard her. The Londoner’s smoky soul voice lifted “Rather Be”—a collaboration with Clean Bandit—to the Grammy-winning dance track of 2015. That hit is on the North American version of her debut album, I Cry When I Laugh, for which she’s touring U.S. clubs (including the Mezzanine in San Francisco on Feb. 8). She’s found success with her own material, too. “Hold My Hand” and “Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself” have her racing in a lane of retro meets nouveau: vocals, instruments and beats all harkening to the 1970s while reflecting music of the moment. (Both singles reached No. 1 in the UK, as has the album, the deluxe edition of which features her other two UK No. 1’s.) “My Love” is the changeup—a piano ballad—yet still effective, and affecting. As a soulful British-Jewish singer/songwriter, Glynne draws comparisons to Amy Winehouse, whom she admires and has covered. Hardly shambolic, radiating sheen, Glynne stands on her own.