Annie and the Caldwells

About

Annie and the Caldwells are a gospel soul group from West Point, Mississippi, and their debut album Can't Lose My (Soul) makes a serious case for why that tradition still hits hard. Released in 2025 on Luaka Bop, the six song record was produced by Sinkane and pulls together gospel, soul, disco, and R&B into something that feels both rooted and alive. Lead vocalist Annie Caldwell is the undeniable center of it all, her soaring voice surrounded by family: siblings Willie Jr and Abel Acquirius contribute to tracks like "I Made It" and "Wrong", while her daughters Anjessica and Deborah add backing vocals to the title track. Critics have responded warmly, with The Economist putting the album in their list of the ten best of 2025 and PopMatters rating it eight out of ten. Mojo praised how the production strips things back to let the raw essence rise, evoking the strength of feeling that comes through in their live performances. The Guardian called it vivid and urgent, and The Times summed it up as "joyful gospel disco". Hard to argue with that.