The Real J Israel – Glass Half Full

The Real J Israel – Glass Half Full – EP Review

What I can’t tell you about, is how things were working out when The Real J Israel was rocking within a more traditional type of Gospel music…all I can really vouch for is the path I hear he’s on now.  If I had to hazard a guess based on what I’m hearing in these two songs that are on his Glass Half Full EP, I’d tell ya he was likely going to be successful going in whatever direction he chose to choose…natural talent like this man has doesn’t come along every day.  What a voice!  The Real J Israel has extraordinary character in the way that he sings…equal parts endearing & charismatic…you really can’t take your ears off of him.

As I sat here and listened to “A Better Me (Acoustic),” all I could really think to myself was that there’s no way this guy’s gonna miss…it’s just a matter of getting his music out there to the people where it belongs.  Once people hear this guy, they’ll be every bit as hooked as I am…the sincerity is staggering in what he’s created on this opening track…the infusion of style & soul is perfection…the sound of his voice has that gentle rasp of wisdom, which pairs brilliantly with the positive messages infused into his lyrics.  By all accounts, “A Better Me (Acoustic)” is every bit of a hit song just waiting to happen.  If anything, I’ve been struggling to simply try and put what I’m hearing into words…and for those of you that read these pages of ours on the regular, you know how rare it is that I’m ever left speechless.  While I’d never leave you with a blank page on the internet, that’s pretty close to the case here if I’m being honest with ya…The Real J Israel sounds like one of those rare gems you stumble across every decade or so…rarely to say the least, but unforgettable when you find an artist like this.  I don’t know the man, but I can tell you that he’s got music attached to the fabric of his very soul…it’s always been inside him, just waiting to get out there into the world.  If switching up his style is what has brought this out of him, or if he’s always had this exceptional talent, I do not know…all I can tell you is that he’s got the true magic of music and a connection to it that most artists spend their entire career searching to achieve.  Here’s a short list of what I love about “A Better Me (Acoustic),” which includes, in no particular order:  the brightness of the musicianship, the powerfully moving songwriting, the rhythm and cadence of his verses, the stunning hooks of the chorus, the vocalizations surrounding his verses and chorus, which are actually THE hook of all hooks…am I leaving anything out?  In the event that I am somehow, please know that I love that part too.  The Real J Israel is like something you’d discover if you could combine Tracy Chapman with Tony Rich, give it all a tinge of crossover sound that straddles the line of Country/Soul…all in one man.  Not any man either…he’s a proud father of seven children, faithfully married to his childhood sweetheart, and outside of making music, he even owns a small business too according to the bio I read online.  What The Real J Israel needs to know is that he’s a mere talent-show appearance away from heading straight into the spotlight…and all he needs to do is believe in that.  Get yourself a spot in the lineup for America’s Got Talent my friend…there’s a whole second chapter of your life just waiting for your arrival.

No joke folks…in pushing play on “I Am Me” I found all the confirmation I needed to know that I wasn’t crazy – The Real J Israel is the real deal and there’s no doubt about it.  I’m not even here to tell ya that I feel like “I Am Me” came out completely flawless or doesn’t have the occasional spot here & there that could potentially be improved just a little bit – it does – but what you’ll hear The Real J Israel getting RIGHT will knock your freakin’ socks straight off.  From the sentiment of the song, from the empowering core messages of his lyricism, to the remarkable way that he chooses to sing “I Am Me,” it’s a string of highlight-after-highlight when it comes right down to it.  “I’m just doing the best I can,” he sings…and you feel that moment…you feel like you connect to this dude that has clearly guided himself to where he is today as an artist…and with a couple more helping hands that are objective in the mix…a team that completely believes in the talent he has and as the courage to be honest with him…he might just be able to refine what he’s doing that last 5% and get the most out of a song like this one.  Ultimately, it’s pretty much already where it needs to be when you consider the sound of what you hear and what’s being said in the lyricism…The Real J Israel gives you that perfectly imperfect moment of humbleness that reveals the natural authenticity he has.  Believe me when I tell ya, I’d keep that every day of the week rather than trade it for some suits & ties to come in and try to change him into sounding like everyone else – all I’m saying is that there’s still another level to be found with the potential of a song like “I Am Me” and it’s completely up to him to unlock it.  As it stands right now, sure, there’s the occasional spot that feels like he’s straining to hit a note or two just right, but all-in-all, he’s like a sweetened version of soulful Ben E. King on this track, and it’d be impossible to argue against wanting a whole lot more of what we’re hearing in this song when The Real J Israel locks right into the main magic of the melody.  The songwriting stands out for all the right reasons, the musicianship is superb once again, and the vocals this man has, when he’s at his most focused & finest…I’m tellin’ ya…he’s got that kind of voice that can truly unite the people through the music he’s making.  Gather around your stereo systems y’all, open up your heart, and have a listen – you’ll find out quickly it’s not just myself that feels the way I do, but that you do too – The Real J Israel is universal, timeless, and a genuine treasure – I’m as confident as ever that we’ll all hear him that way.

Find out more about The Real J Israel at this multi-link:  https://therealjisrael.biglink.to/therealjisrael

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