ZZ Ward/Marc Scibilia/The Young Wild

There’s something Adele-like about singer ZZ Ward. She’s got a big, soulful voice that can brighten up a clichéd song like “Blue Eyes Blind,” a spirited love song on her 2012 album ’Til the Casket Drops. She also works that same magic on “Last Love Song,” an R&B number that doesn’t break any new ground but does enable Ward to show off her vocal power. She's currently touring in support of Love and War, a new EP that kicks off with the soulful, breezy "LoveX3" and then gets funky with the rambunctious "Lonely," a song that sounds like it could be a collaboration between Aretha Franklin and Beck. (Jeff Niesel)