Iris D. 2008-08-24
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I was first introduced to Justin Nozuka's music by way of VH1. I saw the video for 'After Tonight' more times than I can count, and though at first I wasn't very fond of it, the song grew on me. Soon I couldn't get it out of my head, and then the next thing I knew, I was searching for his videos on YouTube. After listening to only three songs: 'After Tonight', 'Save Him', and 'Mr. Therapy Man', I had already decided that this was an amazing artist who's album I just had to own. When I bought and uploaded the album to my MP3 player, I didn't know exactly what to expect, but I was definitely optimistic. And I wasn't disappointed.
The one thing that sets Justin apart from other artists his age is his bluesy, soulful style. While listening to many of his songs, I could just picture myself in a dim, relaxed blues club; the cigarette smoke curling in the air and the room crowded with young and old alike swaying and clapping and whistling to the beat. Usually I don't listen to this genre, but Justin's music is refreshing in its originality and can be appreciated by any one who is a lover of music that is lovingly created with all the artist's heart and soul. Justin writes or co-writes all the songs on the album; a remarkable feat for someone so young. The only thing that saddens me is that he's likely to fall under the radar because he doesn't have that commercial pop sound that is so popular today. But whether he has 100 fans or 1 million, Justin Nozuka is definitely a singer that I'll support in any of his future endeavors.
My favorite tracks on the album are: 'Down in a Cold Dirty Well', 'Mr. Therapy Man', 'Criminal', 'Oh Momma'... actually, there's no track on this album that I didn't like! My only problem with a song is a minor one - on 'Save Him' or even a little on 'After Tonight', his voice gets a little high, to the point it sounds strained. It can be pretty unpleasant and cringe worthy, but it's not too bad, and I still adore both songs. 'Save Him' is very dark and heart wrenching, but it strikes a chord with me that ensures I won't forget it. Justin has mad talent; buy his CD, and you won't regret it!
