MoZaic

Unexpected Turns

BY Matt BauerPublished Oct 31, 2014

9
Like many a debut, MoZaic's 2012 EP The Real Raw Beauty showcased a promising young artist finding her footing. "Transitional" was probably the best descriptor, since the Jill Scott and India Arie influences were hard to miss. Followup Unexpected Turns finds the NYC-bred singer-songwriter blooming in full, a radiant flower with an irresistibly heartfelt and wayward voice of her own.

"Follow what makes you happy," she cries with a joyous sense of rebellion on "Prologue." It's a mantra that she seems to have taken to heart. The saucy, downtempo come-on of "BLVD" is an exercise in vocal audacity, while the yearning "Run Back" is immersed in electronic chill. "No Air" has a laidback, ethereal vibe that bleeds into speaker-rattling soulful house at its midpoint. The delicious, cosmic soul of "Falling" and the futuristic house bounce of "New Shoes" are the album's two best cuts.

In lesser hands, such stylistic detouring would come off as muddled, amateurish even, but MoZaic's mature and poetic lyrical grace and distinctive vocals tie everything together beautifully. Unexpected Turns is a fully realized, engaging effort from an artist hitting her stride.
(Doxside)

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