Oliver James 1-2-3

• 2. Nothing Is Forever
• 2. Nothing Is Forever

Philadelphia vocalist Oliver James approaches contemporary soul with a refreshing absence of irony, drawing instead from the stately emotional architecture of Stax and Southern gospel traditions. '1-2-3', co-written alongside Eraserhood Sound's Nick DeVan and Vincent John, strides forward on tightly cinched drums and sharp brass punctuation, with James delivering each refrain in a rasped near-sermonic cadence shaped by years spent around church music. The flip takes a markedly duskier turn. Backed by Nashville ensemble The Gripsweats, 'Nothing Is Forever' unfolds through sepia-toned strings, slow-curling horn arrangements and a rhythm section that seems to drag its heels through heartbreak.