Cool name. Cool sound. Cool EP.
I could just leave it at that but I’m guessing that you, the reader, want to know a bit more about the record than that. Vulnerable is a great set of songs and Hannah Uzi has a great voice, able to reach for the high notes whilst also creating lulling and sensual lower tones.
Musically, the songs exist in a sort of pop/R&B place but, as is always the case when it comes to art in general and the best music in particular, whilst it is easy to attach such labels, there is a lot more that sets the music apart from the pack than which makes it conform. What I’m saying is that most music follows a fad or fashion, some leads because of its ability to play by its own rules. This is one of those times.
Guilt, which kicks things off, lays out the path perfectly, a feisty R&B groover but it is the more balladic Filled With Love which really begins to showcase Hannah Uzi’s talents introducing slow, soulful vibes, pop accessibility and a smooth and sultry feeling.
Lil Longer kicks things up into the same sort of territory that Chic used to make their own, but here disco grooves, funky basslines, boy-girl duet vocal deliveries and soulful guitars create that energy and euphoria that you always knew was coming.
-untitled- again showcases what a great voice she has, but it is the sultry and sensuous Keep Distance which rounds things off perfectly, a blend of late-night jazz vibes, soulful washes of atmosphere and delicate deliveries.
There is a lot of competition in the pop, neo-soul, R&B world but it is easy to see that Hannah Uzi is already well ahead of the game. You need artists who can set the tone for where music might go next, and if you want to know what that might sound like, just give Vulnerable a spin or two, or three, or four….
