Birds of Chicago—husband-and-wife team JT Nero and Allison Russell—has been making soulful, heartfelt music since 2012. In Nero’s words, the duo’s self-described “secular gospel” songs open up “channels of love.” Birds of Chicago’s voices—Nero’s gritty and Russell’s smooth—blend beautifully and recall country blues, doo-wop, and classic soul. The pair’s newest album, Love in Wartime, is balm for the nation’s troubled times, offering messages of trust and understanding that are also danceable.