aaamusic | On 18, Oct 2010

Manchester-raised Josephine Oniyama has been forging her distinctive sultry jazz soundscape since the tender age of 15 and counts everything from Odetta to Morrissey as an influence. Sultry jazz melodies ooze forth from this EP, a follow up to 2008’s In The Labyrinth. Silky, smooth and crisp, Josephine’s voice was made for this kind of music.

One Song EP opener ‘I Think it Was Love’ is a subtle, sparse number that conjures up images of a dimly lit scene in some slick speak easy situated in the alleys of Paris. Easily the highlight of this little EP, the seductive lyrics wrap themselves around the gently swishing percussion. ‘One Princess of Cheetham Hill’ weaves a more dramatic tale, the Spanish guitars and delicate piano keys accentuated the fragile beauty of this harmony. The song does however suffer from a slightly disjointed array of ideas, lurching from urgent and achingly emotional to an almost weak, blasé delivery.  ‘One Song’ soft, simple acapella is haunting as Josephine’s soulful voice is left to its own devices. Unfortunately this song is not as intricately arranged or captivating as the first two.

Josephine’s music has an incredible depth and honesty to it. An incredible talent, Josephine’s voice holds a warmth and confidence that is mature beyond its years, but I still feel like as a songwriter she has still got some lessons left to learn.

Author: Lauren Down