Crooner: Singing from the Heart from Sinatra to Nas: by Alex Coles, London, Reaktion Books, 2023, 208 pp., $18.00 (paperback), ISBN 978-1789147667.

"Crooner: Singing from the Heart from Sinatra to Nas" by Alex Coles is a book that aims to reanimate the underappreciated history of crooning. Coles explores the crooner archetype and its influence on various genres of popular music, from disco to reggae to hip hop. While the title and chapter structure may suggest a departure from Sinatra, Coles consistently references and pays homage to him throughout the book. The author's passion for crooning is evident in the carefully crafted narrative, which balances personal insights with measured analysis. Although the book could benefit from a more extensive list of further reading, it offers a rich and vibrant genealogy of crooning that will appeal to both casual music fans and academics. [Extracted from the article]