Justin Nozuka: Holly

Posted about 1 year ago

Artist:

Justin Nozuka
Album:

Holly
Track:
- PLAY
- QUEUE
After Tonight

Each year, the music industry looks for that one marketable singer-song writer with star appeal to create that break-out artist. Not long ago it was Jason Mraz, then Corrine Bailey-Rae, and of course, the most recent success story is Cobie Callait. Enter Justin Nozuka .

Nozuka, the baby-faced Canadian with star power already in his genes (2 degrees seperated from Kevin Bacon, his mom is Holly Sedgwick, sister of actress Kyra Sedgwick and wife of KB), blends pop, folk and neo-soul with a bluesy edge. His sound is definitely a breath of fresh air and it's especially welcomed (by me) in this current beat driven/synth heavy music scene.

Trop originally brought Nozuka to my attention , then yesterday a friend of mine passed along his debut CD "Holly ." There's a simplicity behind his sound, a safeness, yet rawness of emotion for someone so young (he's only 20). His lyrics prove thoughtful, somewhat mature and show potential for tremendous growth, but they are the quintessential tales of love lost, loneliness, longing, and heartbreak. However, I can't decide if I'm really in love with Nozuka's sound or if he's simply filling a void, my desire for something new.

I hear tons of similarities between Nozuka and a several artists who have been on the charts recently, almost too recently. He follows the run, trill heavy influence of a Jason Mraz (see "Be Back Soon"), which works for Mraz, but sounds a bit forced on Nozuka. Vocally, he's also a mixture of Robin Thicke's smoothness, John Mayer's soothingness with subtle hints of Jamie Cullum (see "I'm in Peace"). There's nothing wrong with that, as those are all artists I thoroughly enjoy listening to, but is Nozuka unique enough to seperate himself from the pack? I just don't know, yet.

Here's a few of my favorite tracks off the cd. Give them a listen. If you've already heard them, what are your thoughts on Nozuka?