AMG Review of MoZella EP

David Jeffries
All Music Guide

Norah Jones and Lauryn Hill are touchstones for the sound of MoZella, but this genre-spanning singer/songwriter is less precious than Jones and more subdued than Hill. With a love for stinging couplets and pop-dramatic moments that Coldplay would approve of, MoZella is even harder to pin down and the mere five songs on her debut EP don't paint a full picture of this obviously deep artist. If the EP is meant to tease and drum up interest, it succeeds since both MoZella's songwriting and delivery are a rare combination of naked and bold. Highlights are hard to pick since all five of these songs are equally excellent and your favorite will depend on whether you're feeling sexy, introspective, or bitter. Producer Jude Cole does a wonderful job of balancing the chamber jazz and heady soul styles MoZella flirts with, and at five tracks, the EP ends long before the listener's interest.