James Eze's latest EP, a multi-octave blend of genres and emotions, transports listeners on a deeply personal and nostalgically relatable aural adventure. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke writes
Perhaps nothing in recent memory more exemplifies the notion that popular music has come full circle than Exhale, James Eze's recently surprise-released EP on Spotify. It is therefore safe to affirm that it's one of the closest things to riding nostalgic waves from the past. Take this writer's word for it: It's the ultimate time-travelling experience compacted into a single amazing listening session!
A veritable sonic rebel, this genre-bending EP refuses to be pigeonholed and should take the music stratosphere by storm with its audacious mix of local folk tunes, hip-hop, and light rock, shape-shifting and blending styles with effortless swagger.
This is, therefore, one good reason why the average dewy-eyed listener, counting on the poet-musician's guarantee that "there's no monotony whatsoever," sometimes gets the feeling of being aurally transported to the groovy decade of the 1970s and 1980s. Well, maybe this sonic blast from the past isn't quite a nostalgia trip for Grandpa's playlist or one that requires the listener to put on bell-bottom trousers. Yet, it's still a unique blend of retro vibes and modern flair that invokes memories of a bygone period, albeit without the cassette tapes.
Now here's the ultimate nonsequitur. James Eze, a straight-laced--in this reviewer's opinion--former journalist, banker, and government official, has emerged as an unexpected rapper! Isn't it amazing how, with a staid exterior, he effortlessly morphs into a mic-dropping virtuoso and spits bars like Phyno in the track "Mama."? Who knew the former Anambra State governor's chief press secretary and speech writer had such sick flows and velvety vocals hidden beneath his suit and tie? Forget the boardroom; this man has the stage locked down!
As hit-worthy as a track can aspire to be, even by the standards of the local music industry, the artist's tribute to his mother and mothers everywhere in "Mama" (ft. Masthamind) can put the griots of the Sahel to shame. Here indeed is one track--sung entirely in Igbo and appropriately laced with proverbs--that is bound to amass him accolades. Additionally, without having to gild the lily, it is guaranteed to launch this musical late bloomer on the trajectory for stardom.
Moving on to the track "Fire," this synth-soul masterpiece unravels a garland of feelings into a dance floor anthem, dedicated to the one who sets his soul ablaze. The sultry serenade balances ethereal vocals and psychedelic instrumentation, interspersed by the irresistible chorus:
Baby, my love is fire
You're my desire
Let me take you higher
Girl, I'm not a liar.
Eze then pours his heart out in the swoon-worthy, danceable banger "I Love You"! This sweet serenade is a masterclass in sentimental sincerity, in which his refined emotions overflow into sublime lyrics and soulful chants as he pleads his case on a bended knee:
I am down on my knees
I'm begging you please
Baby let's heat up the streets
No room for defeat
We get bright future
Baby can't you see the picture?
The image in my head
You're the roses in my bed
When I look in your eyes
I see paradise
With every beat, his passion crescendos:
I love you love you
Let me love you love you
This stream of euphonious phrases is, like a similarly-themed track titled "Flesh of My Flesh" (ft. Zani), an unapologetic ode to love, where Eze's heart beats on his sleeve and his words paint a picture of unalloyed devotion.
In "Shege" (ft. Kassy), Eze, as a street poet-prophet,drags his audience into his world of grief and purpose with each verse. His lyrics evoke vivid images, soundtracking their suffering and resilience. Despite the long, difficult journey, morning arrives, and truth wins. They may have lost far too many people, but hope remains, like a ray of light in the darkness. Born in the midst of the war's upheaval, he apparently must have experienced his fair share of its horrors, but he stands tall, refusing to be silenced by corruption. In a world that does not forgive, he refuses to give up, his voice a loud cry, until the next generation is liberated.
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The same haunting narrative thread resumes in "Make the World a Better Place" (ft. Masthamind), constructing a sonic medley that mirrors the apocalyptic echoes of these times. The soothing melody masks the tension of the chorus:
I've been singing it from dusk to dawn
That the game needs changing
Humanity has lost its soul
And we are no more living
Come a little closer, lend me your hand
Let's make our world a better place
A better place, a better place.
Meanwhile, there is a curious thing about this multi-octave EP--no single mood overstays its welcome! Each track is expertly orchestrated to energise, with Eze's smooth, honey-toned love jams providing a sweet escape from his sharp, polemical rants. Yet beneath the rough exterior of those rants seethes a deeply introspective undercurrent.
