Roz Bell
The First Sunbeams
4/5

Who It’s For: Anyone with the tastes mentioned below.
Sounds Like: An R&B, reggae, hip-hop, and soft rock explosion of sounds

With a really unique voice and a sound all his own, Toronto is again giving us music that isn’t happening anywhere else. Roz Bell’s debut The First Sunbeams is a delight to listen to in between albums filled with angry teenage boys. He’s got a slow R&B and reggae feel to his sound that allows you to put your feet up and bob your head along.

This is clearly a summer album. While listening to it you can picture the pool party that it would soundtrack. Since it’s just out now maybe it can keep take listeners to warmer climates during the winter. “Papercut” would be the best song to dance and drink daiquiris too. It’s almost too summer time chilling throughout the first half of the disc. It gets to be very slow and feels repetitive if you aren’t paying close attention. His acoustic guitar and back and forth beats could rock you to sleep well under the shade of a palm.

It will lull you along with it until you get to “In The Bathroom” and suddenly there is this explosion of energy on the chorus that will wake up any listeners who have gone into a trance with Bell’s relaxing voice. It’s a welcomed change of pace and makes the track really stand out on the disc. That energy continues through many of the following songs making the end of this album stand out instead of fall flat like many others.

For making music that clearly has Roz’s own personality and flare and style in it, this dude gets two thumbs up. He almost dipped down for making listeners sleepy, but if you throw it on random, it’s good to go.

Track Listing:

1. Cali, Cry
2. Yesterday Man (I’m So Lonely)
3. The First Sunbeams (Interlude)
4. Love In The Back
5. Papercut
6. I Used To Love Her
7. A Girl Named Crush
8. In The Bathroom
9. Jesus Janey
10. Feels Like Love
11. Fly On A Feelin’ (Interlude)
12. She’s So Excitable
13. We’ll Always Have The Rain
14. The Greatest Tragedy

- Stephanie Joudrey