The Brilliant Musical Style of Nhojj's SOUL COMFORT

In an era dominated by war, cut-throat politics, and economic vulnerability, it's easy to forget the power and joy one can claim with a simple shift in focus. The opening track on SOUL COMFORT, "Doing m' Thing," is a perfect reminder of that joy and power as it grooves along with the easy grace of smooth jazz made even more so by subtly restrained yet amazingly pronounced vocals. Experiencing the singer's private dance with serenity, it becomes easy to imagine a silver flute articulating the lyrics: "Listening to the song on the breeze...Love is the thought...Peace in my heart...I know why...Cause I'm Doing m' Thing..."

One of the profound pleasures of enjoying music by Nhojj is that of sharing in the blissful rapture that so obviously absorbs him when doing his thing. So it is with "Music," the second track. As we listen to it, we have no trouble believing when he soars through these lines: "Music is the space I pray in... Music is God blessing me... Music is the place I go to... When the world is stressing me..." That gentle confession is backed up in a mighty way by the eleven songs that follow.

Take for example the harmony-layered bliss of "I Like That." Instead of an extended body of lyrics relaying a story or personal statement of any kind, the song rolls along on waves of overlapping choral harmonies punctuated with soft laughter and the single phrase: "I Like That." In other words, the music itself is the message as we witness an artist in fields of creativity heaven, at play with his muse, and clearly enjoying the thrill.

This homage to music itself goes even further (though somewhat paradoxically so) with the title cut. Framed by Stephan Michael Sechi's sensitive keyboard, "Soul Comfort" is an ultra-minimalist sigh of a composition. It nevertheless manages to express simultaneously a yearning for and an affirmation of the intoxicating essence of music born of a truly cosmically-inspired soul. "The Light" rocks like turbo-powered disco funk while "Peace and Blessings" offers inspirational jazz at its best (so naturally it's been playing forever on my MySpace profile). Yet both songs accommodate the same irresistible mode of metaphysically-charged musical vision.

As agreeably elevated as Nhojj's mystical beats can get, the singer can also deliver in a key as down-to-earth and humanly intimate as an overcrowded subway train. His skill at dissecting the ups and downs of relationships was made beautifully apparent on previous releases and serves him well on the hauntingly emotional ballad, "Please Come Back," as well as the starkly sensuous "Love." Moreover (without meaning at all to sound satirical) one can hardly get more down to earth than the "grave" alluded to in "James Donovan," a mournful elegy that pays fitting tribute to "all those we've lost to AIDS."

"Dream," track number seven, could be exactly what the title describes or it could function as a metaphor that fuses the erotic with the divine. It's probably best in this case to drop attempts at interpretation and simply accept the song's invitation to "...Soar...And realize...You'll be alright...."

The final unlisted bonus track number thirteen is a welcomed surprise: first because it's unexpected, and second because it comes charging through the speakers like an invigorating psychedelic funk rush. Therefore Soul Comfort begins with a meditative whisper in the form of "Doing m' Thing" and ends with a big rocking bang. Maybe that's Nhojj's way of letting us know he's just getting started good, and that as stuffed with musical amazement as Soul Comfort is, there's a lot more where it all came from.

Let's hope so.

All Review Text by Author-Poet Aberjhani
author of ELEMENTAL, the Power of Illuminated Love
and The American Poet Who Went Home Again

Nhojj Delivers on Promise of Creative Brilliance

Serious musical artists often tend to deliver their most brilliant and appealing work when they dare to boldly wrestle both the good and the bad angels of their creativity. That challenge is one to which the Guyana-born singer and composer Nhogg rises triumphantly on his sophomore set, SOMEDAY PEACE LOVE & FREEDOM.

If social consciousness took a somewhat noticeable back seat to romantic inclinations in his beautiful debut collection, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU, it moves into the forefront on "Someday Peace Love & Freedom." As a producer and arranger, and even often as a lyricist, Nhojj hails from the school of "less is more." He puts his point to the test and proves it over and over again, starting with the Caribbean-shaded lament, "Hold On." Artists generally take the approach of listing causes when commenting on the modern world's numerous social and political ills. Nhojj, however, is more likely to illustrate the impact upon individuals, observing, for example, in the opening track: "I laid in my bed last night/ Staring up to the sky/ The walls seemed to be closing in around me/ Tears welled up in the corner of my eyes." And yet, in the very next song, "Free," he notes that liberation is less a matter of social conditions or perfect relationships than it is one of individual choice: "Undo the knot that keeps you caught/ Wrought in despair change is here/ So calm your fears."

The strength of the artist's simplistic approach is evident in both "Fighting for Love" and "Love Again," songs which contain only five lines each. As brief as they are, the first is unforgettable for its subdued yet driving reggae rhythm and acts almost like an introduction for the gypsy-flavored "Lost/Found" that follows. "Love Again" is a marvel of interwoven a capella harmonies--all of them Nhojj--that call to mind "I've Been Waiting for You." By contrast, "A New Me" is extended spoken word that takes listeners on a journey of self discovery and empowerment.

In "Peace," "The Beggar's Cup," and "Someday," the singer dons the robes of musical ministry to excellent effect, calling on his gospel roots to emphasize the world's need for greater demonstrations of social harmony, love, and compassion. In all, the 12 cuts on "Someday Peace Love & Freedom" represent a dynamic step forward where Nhojj's individual artistry is concerned and provides listeners with a sound that is bold, fresh, and enthralling. Where the modern music industry is concerned, it presents a powerful challenge in the form of how to make room for a giant talent that's not only still growing but destined to occupy a position of some honor, distinction, and influence.

by Author-Poet Aberjhani
author of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (Facts on File Library of American History)
and ELEMENTAL The Power of Illuminated Love