Much as the case has been with previous releases in her discography, the warmth of Justine Blazer’s lead vocal in the new single “Just Sing” is definitely reason enough to take a peek at the song this winter. Delivered to us with a gentle swing that syncs up with the percussive component in the mix perfectly, Blazer’s voice is an undisturbed element of pure melodicism in this piece, essentially embodying the pastoral energy of the music more than anything else here could have. “Just Sing” is a very identity-affirming track that doesn’t hold back from giving us a little extra moxie out of her performance, and to me, it’s exactly the kind of song that a player of her pedigree should be recording at this stage of the game.
URL: https://www.justineblazer.com/
There’s an old school country vibe to the main harmony in this single that immediately had my attention when I sat down with it for the first time just recently, but I’m hesitant to call “Just Sing” an outright throwback. The style of the hook is absolutely retro ala the big 90’s crossovers, but it’s executed with such an ear for insularity that I can’t help but tether the larger aesthetic here to the onslaught of quarantine pop in and outside of the country genre in 2020. Blazer is a singer/songwriter who hasn’t stopped evolving in the past twenty years, and if that was considered even somewhat debatable before the arrival of this track, I think the narrative is likely to change as it finds some success on the radio.
The pop influence over the hook is actually something I haven’t noticed in Blazer’s sound since Passion In Me, her breakout 2005 LP, and frankly I wouldn’t mind hearing a bit more of it in another project sometime in the future. There’s a certain multidimensionality in her style of singing that I want her to try and explore more than she has in her last two albums, and in “Just Sing,” I think we’re getting a good look at her tremendous poetic capacities for what they really are. There’s obviously more she can still do, but at this moment I would have to say she’s sounding more mature in both her songcraft and her in-studio presence than she ever has before.
DOWNLOAD THE SINGLE: https://www.justineblazer.com/music
A veteran singer and songwriter who has already done plenty to win the respect of critics and fans on an international level, Justine Blazer proves in “Just Sing” that she still has a lot to say as an artist, and I personally cannot wait to hear it for myself. The country music genre has been going in a very interesting direction lately, specifically with regards to its independent circuit, and I think the potential impact Blazer could make with a forward-thinking, albeit slightly experimental sound is something that can definitely benefit her scene. This is a compelling fusion of two really inspired aesthetics that have been seamlessly integrated for our pleasure, and if it’s on par with any future output this artist turns in, her good fortunes have only just begun.
Troy Johnston