Not Really Home.

He started as the voice of Zero 7, but now he’s moved out on his own.  Mozez as a solo artist is an electro-soul singer, but in his new EP, he tries to do a variety of genre mixing that misses some marks.  A Place Called Home is that new five song release from Mozez.

The EP’s first track “Give In To Love” is an uptempo song, but mostly repetitive.  As bouncy as the beat is, the vocals stay mostly mellow and almost drone-like.  “We are made of love / (Yeah you and me are made of love) / This is all we know / (This is all we should have known).”  The vocal delivery is a stark contrast to the funky music.

Along the same uptempo beat, there is the track “Planets,” another uptempo tune with lyrics likening a love to various planets in the solar system.  The track sounds like it would lend itself nicely to a dance remix with almost no problem.  As it stands now, it sounds a little light and slightly unfinished.

One of the slower tracks on the EP, “Misery,” sounds similar to a slowed down version of the 90s song “Return of the Mack.”  Whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on if you like the song, but Mozez’s voice has that same droning quality.  “Come drive away this / misery.” The track isn’t bad, but it does get a little boring.  The same handful of lines are repeated over and over.

There’s a funky soul quality that is asking to be let out on this EP, but it just doesn’t ever come to fruition.  One or two songs are worth a listen, but certain elements can be found on every song.  Instead of getting more of the characteristics of who Mozez is, we get an attempt to find a sound that just doesn’t want to be found yet.  “Give In To Love” and the final track, “Thankful,” are both worth a listen, but the EP as a whole just misses a mark somewhere.