A very nice, warming little set is this from newcomer Nhojj. Vocally, Nhojj, has elements of both Maxwell and Pete Belasco and on the musical front the vibe is fresh and definitely of a soulful vibration. The opening song really does speak volumes about what the gentleman is about – he is literally doing his thing, and having a ball at the same time. The funkiness is what we would expect from an Amp Fiddler set, but far less street if you know what I mean. The instrumentation is, as appears to be the norm again, very real and the funky guitar licks, brushing drums and warm keys are miles away from the squeaky, programmed R&B that the majors are churning out at present. “Please Come Back” could be likened to something that Van Hunt would do on a more soulful day, and “Love” with its hushed, gentile premise is much more to my taste. A fair few tracks are excellent yet woefully short and give but a mere insight into what we may expect from a future album. It’s this variety and fusion of the short and sweet with the funkier elements that make this CD gel well. Following a series of shorts you will discover an excellent track called “Dream” which rolls along nicely with subtle bass guitar and flute. This is a real gem, as is the excellent “My Brother” which reminds me of a Toni Tony Toné cut from their last album in 1996. For dancers, check out the Chic-ish guitar funky licker “The Light”. The horns blow, the drum beats proudly and the groove is tighter than a tupper are seal! This is great but the real killer come sin the form of “Peace And Blessings”; a FANTASTIC cut that simply shines out like no other. This is total quality in the form of a Leroy Hutson classic – think “Lucky Fellow”, “Closer To The Source” or “So Nice” and you are not a million miles away from where you need to be. The CD is therefore thoroughly essential for this track alone, let alone all the others I have already highlighted. This song, complete with soulful sax and horns hit me as strong as when I first heard Cam’Elle Hinds’ “Sausalito Calling” back in ‘94. This is a real killer and deserves to be played on the radio every hour on the hour! What a great new talent, though and an album that comes highly recommended!Wednesday 11 February 2009
Nhojj - Soul Comfort
A very nice, warming little set is this from newcomer Nhojj. Vocally, Nhojj, has elements of both Maxwell and Pete Belasco and on the musical front the vibe is fresh and definitely of a soulful vibration. The opening song really does speak volumes about what the gentleman is about – he is literally doing his thing, and having a ball at the same time. The funkiness is what we would expect from an Amp Fiddler set, but far less street if you know what I mean. The instrumentation is, as appears to be the norm again, very real and the funky guitar licks, brushing drums and warm keys are miles away from the squeaky, programmed R&B that the majors are churning out at present. “Please Come Back” could be likened to something that Van Hunt would do on a more soulful day, and “Love” with its hushed, gentile premise is much more to my taste. A fair few tracks are excellent yet woefully short and give but a mere insight into what we may expect from a future album. It’s this variety and fusion of the short and sweet with the funkier elements that make this CD gel well. Following a series of shorts you will discover an excellent track called “Dream” which rolls along nicely with subtle bass guitar and flute. This is a real gem, as is the excellent “My Brother” which reminds me of a Toni Tony Toné cut from their last album in 1996. For dancers, check out the Chic-ish guitar funky licker “The Light”. The horns blow, the drum beats proudly and the groove is tighter than a tupper are seal! This is great but the real killer come sin the form of “Peace And Blessings”; a FANTASTIC cut that simply shines out like no other. This is total quality in the form of a Leroy Hutson classic – think “Lucky Fellow”, “Closer To The Source” or “So Nice” and you are not a million miles away from where you need to be. The CD is therefore thoroughly essential for this track alone, let alone all the others I have already highlighted. This song, complete with soulful sax and horns hit me as strong as when I first heard Cam’Elle Hinds’ “Sausalito Calling” back in ‘94. This is a real killer and deserves to be played on the radio every hour on the hour! What a great new talent, though and an album that comes highly recommended!
