South London soul singer James Vickery's new EP Overture, which features production from Kenny Beats, SG Lewis, and Maths Time Joy, is here to sooth you during these trying times.
The texture of Vickery's voice resembles a shark's scales, smooth and yet rough at the same time. While most of the tracks are "dim the lights and light candles" tempo, there are slightly more upbeat songs such as the breezy "Tear It Apart" and Justin Timberlake-esque "Spanish Rose."
Vickery was born deaf in his left ear but didn't let the adversity put him off a career in music. In an email, he discusses coming to terms with that: “Growing up in and out of hospital with a hearing impairment was extremely tough for me... If I hadn't started going to speech therapy at a young age, I’m not sure I would have ever found my voice. The truth is I found out I could sing, almost accidentally - because of speech therapy, and never looked back since. I'm not afraid to talk about my hearing impairment anymore, I'm proud of it."
He further details how this project is just a taste of what's to come: “I decided to call the EP Overture as it means 'an introduction to something more substantial.' An album is soon around the corner."
Photo: Will Beach