Album Review: Ezra Phoenix

Ezra Phoenix is the alter-ego of Solomon Esera, who began songwriting some ten years ago when he attended Excel School of Performing Arts in Auckland. Some of the seven songs on this his debut album stretch back nearly as far, all inspired by what has been happening in his life, telling the story as he connects with listeners to have a real conversation. Produced by Toby Lloyd, who fell in love with Ezra’s music when he first heard the demo for Oxygen Tank, one of the songs included here, they have combined together to create something which is very special indeed.

Ezra has a wonderful voice, delicate yet strong, high yet full of emotion, clear yet passionate, and he combines this with classic pop stylings and modern RnB in a way which is fresh, exciting, and welcoming. It is the vocals, combined with wonderful songs and arrangements, which really brings the listener along for the ride. The songs are arranged in away so that the listener is never really sure what is going to come next, as each number takes on a life its own, always with Ezra’s voice very much at the centre of everything. The accompaniment is incredibly layered, with a wide amount of space and separation, and while incredibly modern is also prepared to throw in acapella harmonies (just check out the wonderful DUY).

This is not a style of music I generally listen to yet is an album I have loved from beginning to end, and my only complaint is that it is too short! We have seven songs, a total running length of just 26 minutes, and I just wish it were much longer. Each song could easily be played on the radio, a hit in its own right. The last song on the album, Carry Me, is just multi-tracked Ezra and nothing else, reminding the listener of classic bands such as Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. Ezra moves into falsetto with ease, and nothing is ever forced, ever rushed, always moving at its own pace. There is restraint within the album, the feeling every step is deliberate, yet it is also incredibly immediate. From the opening of Wait For You, to the very end of Carry Me, one knows that Ezra is a real star, and that this album is a real find. It is just up to everyone else to discover that now, which surely will not take long.