FAKE SUGAR (LP)

The inimitable Beth Ditto harkens back to her Southern roots on Fake Sugar, her first solo record after The Gossip disbanded. That doesn't mean Ditto's mean gone full-on country, though - the queer feminist icon instead taps into gospel, soul, and even a bit of country rock. That these genres influenced the operatic singer's musical vocabulary is no surprise, of course, to longtime fans, but don't expect the raucous dance-punk. The first single "Fire" premiered as BBC radio 1's "hottest record in the world". This is her solo debut album after being with The Gossip.