When Sydney soul singer Josue released his first EP Bad News in 2015, I thought he was the second coming of Tevin Campbell. I loved his voice and the way he was making music that took me back to my teenage years. However, he’s decided to shake things up with his new 3-tracker, M.o.D.
Josue tells us that M.o.D can mean anything we want it to. “Mind over Distractions. Money overruns Dreams. Music over Drama” he helpfully suggests in the press release. But M.o.D is also the name of Josue’s brother and producer of this EP. His influence has taken everything I loved about Josue’s music but given it a fresh edge.
The single “Stay” is so smooth. Its instrumentation recalls an old jazz club, but the electro beats give it a more contemporary feel. “Million” is so bold, charged with energy. I love the way Josue’s soulful voice pairs with the wailing electric guitars. Josue goes out with a bang with “Erase the Sun.” He actually wrote this song when he was just 17 years old but it feels incredibly mature. It’s political, ambitious, and more than a little trippy.
As I listened to this EP I found myself thinking not of Tevin Campbell but favourite 90s act Maxwell, who took classic soul and created soundscapes around it. However, where Maxwell loved to sing about love and romance, Josue isn’t afraid to tackle grittier subject matter. He takes some real risks on M.o.D. but they all pay off.
Image used with permission from Stimulated Media