Amber Ojeda | Here I Am

Amber Ojeda | Here I Am By Brent Faulkner

There is nothing like hearing a promising new singer who can be defined as ‘genre-bending’ by nature. Upstart Amber Ojeda exemplifies the title of ‘genre-bender’ with her strong first effort, Here I Am, a nine song set that is consistent from start to finish. Here Ojeda mixes the R&B power with superb jazz vocal stylings and phrasings to produce an album that is quite captivating. Rare these days does one find an album that is great in nearly every regard. The fit and finish of Here I Am is impeccable in nearly every respect. Let’s face it, Amber Ojeda ‘knocks it out of the park’ here.

The album opens with the exceptional “So Lovely,” which possesses a nice, ‘cool’ low-vibe jazz feel. Background vocals help to ‘up the ante’ with beautiful harmonization. As for Amber herself, she ‘hypes up the soul-vibe’ with a great vocals borrowing jazz cues from the greatest jazz vocalists. A standout, well constructed bridge section is definitely a highlight of this opener. “Love From the Band” is another consistent, enjoyable listen with clever songwriting that name-checks the instruments from a jazz combo. Here, Ojeda’s vocals are clear as a bell featuring some of the strongest vocal production of the album.“Love from the Band” may be a shade less enjoyable than “So Lovely,” but in an album this ‘stacked with hits,’ it is hard to differentiate between any of the cuts.

“Don’t Rush” is a valedictory moment, with lush jazz harmonies emanating from the piano (not to mention a great solo), warm sounding strings,and a nice bass line underpinning the production, big and full in sound. Ojeda’s vocals are lovely, finding the songstress cultivating a jazz-soul style. The chorus is well penned here – one of the catchiest of the album: “and if you don’t rush… it’ll all come to you, sitting back and having a contemplative kind of day…” “Here I Am,” the title cut, is yet another valedictory moment, leaning slightly more soulfully than overtly jazz in genre. Here, the production successfully mixes the best R&B with nice tinges of jazz. Additionally, electric guitar adds another dimension to the track heightening the emotion bottled up here. As for Ojeda’s vocal performance – it is utterly superb,especially on the BEST chorus on the album: “Say you want a strong connection, open your eyes, here I am, you looking in the wrong direction, look no further, here I am…”

“Lady Like” lays as well as anything, with nice laid back production work. Here, Ojeda ‘lays back’ vocally showcasing and cultivating the jazz influence so overtly present. The rhythm section is solid and this cut is yet another consistent listen from start to finish. “Sometimes I” similarly leaves no room for disappointment. Ojeda’s ‘blue notes’(think Sarah Vaughn on “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”) make you feel like you are sitting in a jazz club back in the 1950s. The songwriting is as strong as ever and the harmonies are typical jazz fare. “What This Could Be,” another stellar cut, captures the listeners attention instantly with it use of horns from the onset. Vocally, what can be said about someone as prodigiously talented as Amber? She sounds‘spot-on.’

“Get To Know Me” finds Amber Ojeda taking cues from Erykah Badu with her mix of jazz/soul here in particular. “Get to Know Me” is potent by all means providing another well rounded, noteworthy cut. Closing cut “Hype Love” is shocking and busy, but one of the most innovative tracks of the album. Here, the producers and Ojeda herself pull out all of the stops mixing drum programming with a classic jazz rhythm section. The results are a ‘hyper’ sounding track, perhaps corresponding with the name of the cut, “Hype Love.” “Hype Love” proves to be the most appropriate cut for a closer.

What can be said about an album THIS consistent and a vocalist THIS talented? No major flaws pervade the flow or the quality of this effort by Amber Ojeda. She is a singer with a promising future that can serve as a crossover as well as a conduit between the R&B and jazz worlds. Frankly, this is one of the best albums I have heard in 2010. Amber Ojeda ‘has got it goin’ on.’

Brent Faulkner
The Urban Music Scene