Josh Osho - L.I.F.E. Review

Twenty-year-old Josh Osho is a Brit-soul newcomer who has managed to turn his life around in more ways than one. From dodgy dealings on south London's streets to singing his heart on-stage as a supporting act for Emeli Sandé, the Island Records-signed crooner has become an inspiration without even meaning to be.
Influenced by everyone from Lauryn Hill to Simon & Garfunkel, Osho’s sound is a fusion of soul, folk and pop smoothness – and his husky tone and honest lyrics makes him a gem in the UK pop scene. When an artist goes through pain and heartache in life, it’s a beautiful thing when their music touches you through the speakers – and Osho’s debut, L.I.F.E (Learning Is For Ever), does this perfectly.
Opener Redemption Days had critics singing Osho's praises when he first entered the scene at the start of 2011. The song’s orchestral production complements the singer's uplifting tale of getting through the hard times and looking on the brighter side of life....full text When ITV come back from the break and Adrian Chiles delivers a line about the performance of the Spanish football team, the music playing underneath is by Josh Osho. The song, Redemption Days, was first released last year, and reached 162 in the charts, but is now the lead track on an album that hopes to establish Osho as a soulful, sincere singer-songwriter. The formula is roughly Seal times Lightning Seeds, with the odd "contemporary" effect added for good measure (a DJ's scratch, a Ghostface Killah verse, acronyms for titles). The lyrics cast Osho as ideal husband material, determined yet vulnerable and focussed on helping his love realise her dreams. It's the kind of stuff you'd imagine to have been written by focus-group if it weren't for the beguiling way Osho occasionally turns a phrase – "Just when I think I'm growing stronger, the stitiching starts to fray" – or latches on to a melody. Even if the melody, as in the case of TMAIA (Take Me As I Am), is a barely tweaked rework of Bette Davis Eyes....full text 'I usually don't work with a lot of people, but my man Josh is in another lane.' When hip-hop heavyweight Ghostface Killah says this about you before your first album has even come out, then chances are you have something that most others do not possess. For Josh Osho, life has moved at a rapid pace since his musical talents were first recognised by Island president Darcus Beese and with the release of L.I.F.E., his debut album, things are hardly likely to slow down anytime soon.
With L.I.F.E., you can bet that most people will come for the singles; if this is the case then I implore you to please stay for the feast that comes after. Josh is a talented guy and, with the backing he already has, hopefully it won't go amiss....full text As our friend Ghostface Killah once said, “my man Josh is in another lane!” and as RWD’s one and only Hattie Collins once said, “I love Josh Osho!”. We agree with both of these statements. 20-year-old Josh’s debut album L.I.F.E is a brilliant mix of soulful R&B and beautiful acoustic tracks. Telling the story of his (surprise surprise) L.I.F.E so far, tracks include Ebenezer Hotel, a bluesy number about his time in the South London halfway house, whereas the strings in Highlight Of My Day make us want to cry and smile simultaneously. Deep. The upbeat Freewheel will soundtrack our summers nicely, with its catchy chorus and contagious feel-good mood. A definite stand-out track is latest single Redemption Days, which features none other than Ghostface himself. Score! ...full text