New artist: Bryn Christopher

Modern soul has a new pin-up: 23 year-old singer-songwriter Bryn Christopher.

Channeling the spirit of Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder and placing it in the modern world, he mixes classic soul and funk influences with modern R&B production styles. Impressively Birmingham-born Christopher has written everything himself: whereas most new soul artists are a record company cash-in, he did it the hard way. In 2007 he supported Amy Winehouse on tour, receiving a rapturous reaction from audiences.

His sounds is unique: album producers Midi Mafia secured permission at the beginning of 2008 to sample the Stax Records catalogue, making for very interesting listening for people of a 60s persuasion. He clearly has also been influenced by a range of homegrown artists as well, with 90s soul star Seal clearly audible on ballad 'It's Taken Me Over'.

His debut album My World is out now on Polydor Records. Christopher tours the UK later this month, starting in Glasgow on the 22nd November and finishing in Monmouth on the 5th of December.

Here more of Bryn Christopher on his Myspace page here.