Paradise – George Ezra – New Sound Express

Hertford-reared, Bristol-based singer/songwriter George Ezra possesses a deep, resonant, and emotionally weathered voice that belies his considerable youth. Influenced by similarly precocious troubadours like Bob Dylan and Hank Williams, Ezra was just 19 when he issued his debut single, “Budapest,” a warm, amiable, and soulful slice of classy folk-pop that invoked names like Willy Mason, Ben Howard, Ray LaMontagne, and Tom Odell. That song, along with three others, appeared on his 2013 debut EP, Did You Hear the Rain? Increased touring and an appearance at Glastonbury preceded his second EP, Cassy O’, which arrived in early 2014. “Budapest” was re-released in June of that year, followed a few weeks later by Ezra’s debut LP, Wanted on Voyage. The album entered the U.K. charts at number three and eventually climbed into the top spot by year’s end, earning him four Brit Award nominations and a North American tour supporting Sam Smith in early 2015. During this period he made his American television debut with appearances on Saturday Night Live and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, increasing his exposure. In April 2017, Ezra announced a “top secret” U.K. tour, during which he would debut new material. It was accompanied by the release of “Don’t Matter Now,” the lead single from his follow-up LP. A second single, “Paradise,” was released in January 2018 followed by the announcement that Ezra’s second album, Staying at Tamara’s, would arrive in March of that year. ~ James Christopher Monger

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