Music: J.Lamotta – Suzume

Released way back in April this year, Suzume is the most recent full length album from Berlin-based, Tel Aviv born musician J.Lamotta. This is her second album on Jakarta Records, and is a beautiful, soulful album that showcases her unique vocal range and tone. I’m in awe of this album and I’m glad to finally cover it properly.

There is something about her voice, maybe the gentleness, that reminds me somewhat of Norah Jones. The album kicks off with a bang with “If You Wanna,” a beautiful, synth, string and brass sections, and an overpowering vocal performance from the talented singer. Throughout the album, I find myself in the midst of a wave of gorgeous key arrangements, impeccable drumming, with saxophone and trumpet leads that add an air of class to this album. Examples of this beautiful tone can be found on “Back in Town,” with amazing percussion and “Deal with It II” which has a Dilla-inspired beat with the hard-hitting claps. “Shugah Boi” feels like something Erykah Badu might grace, but J.Lamotta really does excel with this release, bringing together the strength of each musician involved together into a cohesive project. One of the other highlights is without a doubt “Free the Jazz,” which features “Teknical Development.is,” who bring such energy through an incredible introspective and intricate verse. It’s such a beautiful track, one that just brings such soul and depth. It’s a wonderful record, and perfectly sums up the aura of the whole album.

Once again, this album is fantastic and I cannot wait to hear more from this talented singer! Listen to J.Lamotta’s excellent sophomore release Suzume below via Bandcamp and don’t forget to support! Released via Jakarta Records.