:: Justin Nozuka - Holly

Justin Nozuka

It’s hard to suppress the ‘awww’ when you hear that Justin Nozuka called his debut album Holly after his mother, a woman who single-handedly raised him and his six siblings. This virtually unknown Canadian youngster wrote his first song at 12 and now 19 has already been nominated for a Canadian Grammy for Best New Artist. Nozuka is even co-headlining for very own Missy Higgins on her latest US tour. Now if all this isn’t enough to convince you that this boy’s got a little something, then you’ll definitely be blown away by Holly. Nozuka sets out to create a dark and soulful acoustic album infused with folk, pop and old-time blues and he succeeds without exception. ‘Down In A Cold Dirty Well’ opens the album with a soft and grainy melody before flowing into a beautifully rhythmic ballad that oozes emotion with its unembellished acoustic guitar and longing vocals. Then there’s ‘Be Back Soon.’ Clearly a born blues man, Nozuka masterfully shows off his incredibly rich vocal range and melancholic lyrics in a bittersweet song that you’d expect to hear from a legend like B.B King not a kid who’s barely out of high school. A lot of talk about Nozuka revolves around how much he sounds like John Mayor or Robin Thicke and by god they’re right. In ‘Save Him,’ Nozuka almost mirrors these two musicians and his vocals are simply honey - sweet, smooth and positively dripping with depth. A heartbreaking song about domestic violence, ‘Save Him’ is just Nozuka and his acoustic guitar, nothing more is needed. There is just something about Justin Nozuka that leaves you desperate for more. At times it’s impossible to believe that this is a 19-year-old as Nozuka sings like someone who has lived a century and is now nostalgically reflecting on all the sadness and beauty he’s seen. Put simply, Holly is pure bliss, beautifully crafted and even more beautifully sung.