Five songs to hear this week (Oct 14-20)

Soul man John Legend has just been seen in the trailer for the heavily hyped movie La La Land, and has now started talking about his fifth album. Darkness and Light is due to feature guests including Chance the Rapper, Miguel and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, and the lively first single, Love Me Now, is online now.

Prolific singer-songwriter Conor Oberst, also known as the brains of Bright Eyes and Desparecidos, is completely solo on his new album Ruminations, out today. Recorded in his hometown Omaha rather than his more recent home, New York, it’s an intimate collection including Tachycardia, which you can find him playing on the piano on YouTube.

Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker won Best Duo at the BBC Folk Awards last year, and are now signed to esteemed indie label Rough Trade to release their new album, Overnight, today. Harmonious highlight The Waning Crescent is on YouTube.

Lightweight funkateers Maroon 5 have jumped on the tropical house bandwagon on their new song, Don’t Wanna Know, and have somehow persuaded critically adored rapper Kendrick Lamar to do a guest verse on it. It’s streaming on YouTube now.