Grooves heavy enough to leave craters on the airwaves and the delicious timbre of vintage-toned guitars define I Am the One, the latest standout single from Noah James Mass. A self-contained writer, producer and engineer, Mass builds from a soulful rock tradition, shaping his forthcoming self-titled debut album around heavy groove, filmic atmosphere and sharp lyrical bite.
Echoing the diesel-soaked reverence of The Black Keys while carrying the snarl-laced swagger of Arctic Monkeys and the heavyweight muscle of Queens of the Stone Age, I Am the One becomes the resurrection of soul-swamped bluesy groove rock. There is almost a sermonic atmosphere conjured in the release, leading you towards an altar of pure tonal worship.
Guiding it all like a priest of rhythmic catharsis, Noah James Mass loads an arsenal of impassioned emotion into the release until it becomes a proclamation of devotion like no other. The guitars feel oil-slick and fever-warmed in the arrangement, which lets blues-rock pressure build without losing its hook-laden grip.
Calling I Am the One a love song feels too neat and cliché for something this primal. Mass makes passion sound primal, body-led and spiritually ravenous. Feed its hunger and stream the single on Bandcamp now.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
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