Newly-released from his 2022 album Glass Half Full, The Real J Israel strips things back to the bare essentials, for the acoustic and beautifully heartfelt A Better Me.
Instantly creating a warm and worthy listening space, the single introduces the uniquely expressive, raspy and soulful vocals of The Real J Israel, alongside his deeply poetic and contemplative lyrics.
Guided by the simple clarity and calm of an acoustic fingerstyle guitar performance, A Better Me feels like a subtle fusion of country and folk. The result is ultimately a mainstream-ready, melodically alluring song, but one with a fresh tune, a fresh sense of character, and an overall revealing and honest lyrical core.
That central sentiment is key, the writing is fearlessly devoted to its own realness, and Israel’s delivery proves naturally connected to that – a pairing that makes A Better Me captivate all the more strongly.
Distinctly personal but also familiar and accessible enough to be made the listener’s own source of inspiration, A Better Me makes fine use of authenticity, in everything from the lyrical exploration of the self to the upfront, unafraid musical presentation. A real pleasure to listen to, and a fine introduction to the eclectic and equally optimistic album.
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