Joshua Zero – 0800 Angels (2021)
Described as an artist who “documents their love of poetry and translates it into music”, it is easy to say that Joshua Zero is a musician with insatiable elegance. While Joshua Zero has but a few singles in their discography, they are by no means an unestablished name in the UK. From the grimy floors of venues in Leeds to supporting Berlin band Soybomb on a UK tour, this natural talent is entertaining audiences on every level. Distinctive with a reputation for energetic and engaging music, they are receiving critical acclaim from, well, almost everyone featuring in Rising Artists Blog, YMX, Lost In The Manor and various playlists. We take a gander at Joshua Zero’s latest release ‘0800 Angels’.
Following their well-received tracks ‘Antistar’ and ‘Your Eyes Are Fighting Me’ (read our review here), Joshua Zero showcase their versatility and innovation in ‘0800 Angels’. Unlike the previous songs, the new single leans toward a 90s-inspired grunge style with some tinges of contemporary indie-rock. A murky melody but with a flowing delicacy to the song, Zero has climbed along the iconic Radiohead in their eclecticism; however, they have an edge on Radiohead with their modern-day grittiness. What I find intriguing is the poetic arrangement blending fragile piano, bold guitars and pounding drums all in a three-minute song.
Textured and beautifully layered, ‘0800 Angels’ carries you along a sonic river with a glassy surface but tumultuous undertones. It is as if you are watching lights bounce off a cool lake with a writhing whirlpool just beneath your toes. Quite melancholic and sentimental, ‘0800 Angels’ appears to have a cold ambience, but this might be due to the sense of inner turmoil and isolation the songwriter felt. Zero explains that the track was “…just one of those songs that happened to come out of me. It was written as I was coming out of a heavy depressive episode and represents the feeling of being lost at a loose end.” Filled with emotional nostalgia, Zero’s vocals tear into you leaving you gasping for breath after a plunge into icy darkness.
For more from Joshua Zero check out their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
