British singer/songwriter Jamie Woon initially gained attention for his 2011 album Mirrorwriting. I discovered him via a recommendation on Twitter, and fell in love immediately. I was unaware that he’d recorded a follow-up until months after its release. 2015′s Making Time is quite a bit different from its predecessor. Woon’s soulful voice is the same, but the electronic production of his debut gave way to a more organic, live band sound on his sophomore effort. “Dedication” closes Making Time, and it’s a stunner.

This meditative track caught my attention immediately thanks to Woon’s passionate crooning, an insistent bassline and the lyrics, which celebrate the unsung heroes that paved the way for Jamie to have a career. Jamie might be singing about the many soul singers who bled, sweat and cried for their art despite not receiving proper recognition. A lot of soul music snobs (and I probably am one, to an extent) grouse about the newer generation not giving props to those who came before. Jamie Woon not only gave props, he put those props in a song that’s the equal of the music created by many of his forebears.

Creators cultivated
A spirit in the swing
Were oppressed and faced by hatred