Bobby Oroza
is an unlikely soul hero. A native Finlander of Bolivian descent, his music includes elements of jazz and Latin but relies most heavily on a trinity of classic R&B, funk, and soul. While Helsinki may not be known as a hotbed of American roots genres,
Oroza
managed to find sympathetic collaborators in
Cold Diamond & Mink
, the punchy instrumental group that serves as the house band for retro-specialists
Timmion Records
and plays like a Scandinavian mash-up up
the Wrecking Crew
and
the Funk Brothers
.
and his gang made their debut in 2019 with
This Love
, which found a home (and wider distribution) on likeminded Brooklyn indie
Big Crown Records
. Made largely with the same personnel, 2022's
Get on the Otherside
has just as much grit and sophistication as its predecessor while coming off as an overall more sincere affair. Any good soul music comes straight from the heart, and a couple of difficult years seem to have left their mark on
's outlook. There's a heightened sense of poignancy to the songs, from the romantic yearning of "Loving Body" to the tranquil introspection of "My Place, My Time." Over woozy, reverb-drenched guitar lines and the nimble rhythm section of bassist
Sami Kantelinen
and drummer
Jukka Sarapaeae
,
bares his soul, effusing a mixture of reliance and weary melancholia. His songs seem to tell us that life is sweet, but also short. Take love where and when you can get it and enjoy the small things. No song better conveys this spirit than the dreamy title cut, "Otherside," which tells of
's own battle with depression. While his debut showed he could re-create the sonic world of his influences,
Get On the Otherside
proves he can also write an engaging and more personal set of songs. ~ Timothy Monger