Get On the Other Side＜限定盤/Neon Orange Vinyl＞

フィンランド発ソウル・シンガーBOBBY OROZAによる2ndアルバムが完成、コロナウイルスが世界中に蔓延する中、父親である彼は家族のために建設現場でブルーカラー労働をしながら本当の意味で自分を見つめ直していた。シンガーソングライターとしての才能とメロウなサウンドを作り上げる才能が発揮された作品。ソウルフルで哲学的な楽天家Bobby Orozaが見せる世界と自分自身を愛しながら人生を歩むための道標といえるでしょう。

Bobby Oroza is an unlikely soul hero. A native Finlander of Bolivian descent, his music includes elements of jazz and Latin but relies most heavily on a trinity of classic R&B, funk, and soul. While Helsinki may not be known as a hotbed of American roots genres, Oroza managed to find sympathetic collaborators in Cold Diamond & Mink, the punchy instrumental group that serves as the house band for retro-specialists Timmion Records and plays like a Scandinavian mash-up up the Wrecking Crew and the Funk Brothers. Oroza and his gang made their debut in 2019 with This Love, which found a home (and wider distribution) on likeminded Brooklyn indie Big Crown Records. Made largely with the same personnel, 2022s Get on the Otherside has just as much grit and sophistication as its predecessor while coming off as an overall more sincere affair. Any good soul music comes straight from the heart, and a couple of difficult years seem to have left their mark on Orozas outlook. Theres a heightened sense of poignancy to the songs, from the romantic yearning of "Loving Body" to the tranquil introspection of "My Place, My Time." Over woozy, reverb-drenched guitar lines and the nimble rhythm section of bassist Sami Kantelinen and drummer Jukka Sarapaa, Oroza bares his soul, effusing a mixture of reliance and weary melancholia. His songs seem to tell us that life is sweet, but also short. Take love where and when you can get it and enjoy the small things. No song better conveys this spirit than the dreamy title cut, "Otherside," which tells of Orozas own battle with depression. While his debut showed he could re-create the sonic world of his influences, Get On the Otherside proves he can also write an engaging and more personal set of songs. ~ Timothy Monger

デビュー作『This Love』がチカーノ・ソウル文脈で俄かに評価されたヘルシンキ発のヴィンテージ・ソウル歌手が、引き続きビッグ・クラウンから待望のセカンド・アルバムを発表。今回も録音は地元のティミオンで行われ、スタジオ・バンドのコールド・ダイアモンド&ミンクが完全バックアップ。ジミ・テナーがフルートで参加する"I Got Love"を安定のオープニングに、哀楽の入り混じったスウィートな歌世界を堪能させてくれる。
bounce (C)轟ひろみ