Concept albums have long been the domain of rock, with The Who, Genesis, Styx, Marilyn Manson, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, and Nine Inch Nails among those who’ve  delivered one or more thematic collections. Coldplay’s fifth album was expected to follow in those footsteps — presumably in a much less loud way — but frontman Chris Martin recently retracted his earlier comment about the band’s forthcoming effort being a true concept album.

But if the thought of a concept album from a British act of recent vintage had you intrigued, consider Plan B, aka Ben Drew, who last year released The Defamation of Strickland Banks. A song cycle about a successful soul singer wrongly accused of rape and subsequently imprisoned, it’s heavy stuff, to be sure, but Plan B — a multi-hyphenate talent whose only previous album was straight-up rap — tells his fictional tale via Motown beats, Rolling Stones riffs, and other ridiculously melodic ear candy.

Out in the UK since last April, The Defamation of Strickland Banks was greeted with critical acclaim, though it wasn’t until November that the album’s first single, “Stay Too Long,” appeared here in the U.S. A genre-hopping raveup produced by Paul Epworth (Adele, Florence + The Machine, Cee Lo Green), “Stay Too Long” is a solid preview of Plan B’s musical versatility, showcasing both his sweet soul voice (echoes of Smokey Robinson and Lenny Kravitz) as well as his MC skills.

The music video for “Stay Too Long” is the first visual chapter in the Strickland Banks’ story. View all five by clicking the link that pops up toward the end of each clip.

Though Plan B’s successful foray into retro-sounding soul has landed him three 2011 BRIT Award nominations, including Album of the Year, he’s leaving the Strickland Banks character behind and planning a return to hip-hop for his next album, The Ballad Of Belmarsh.

Purchase Plan B – “Stay Too Long” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.