ZZ Ward Til the Casket Drops LP

ZZ Ward is a singer/songwriter whose artistry spins on a luminous axis of voice and soul. Raised on the blues with a passion for hip hop, ZZ Ward's music straddles two distinct genres, which she fearlessly melds with effortless ease. Her 2012 debut album, Til the Casket Drops, includes collaborations with Ryan Tedder, Michael Fitzpatrick (Fitz & the Tantrums), Kendrick Lamar, Freddie Gibbs, Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), and Pete Rock. Featuring three tracks that made it on Billboard's Alternative Adult Songs chart: "Put the Gun Down," "365 Days" and "Last Love Song."

...a collection that should make her a star if there's any justice in the world. Ward has a wonderfully flexible voice, she can croon like a pop singer, growl like a blues woman, spit attitude like a rocker, and flow like a rapper. There's not a single weak track on her 13-song debut, and several of them sound like hits.