If The War and Treaty’s old-school magic doesn’t raise your spirits, nothing will. A husband-and-wife duo from Michigan, Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount create a panoramic synthesis of vintage soul, archaic gospel, blues rock and country music that places their gloriously uplifting vocals front and centre. A good deal of their music, including the Al Green-informed hit “Five More Minutes”, is rooted in love and optimism—but not all of it. On 2020’s Hearts Town, they tackle deeply difficult issues like racism and emotional manipulation. That’s what all great groups do: they peer into both the light and the darkness.