Bobby Oroza in Berlin

Finnish soul singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Bobby Oroza was in town yesterday. On a pretty cold Sunday night, Bobby played music from his two albums “This Love” (2019) and “Get On The Otherside” (2022), both released on Big Crown Records, the Brooklyn-based label which was started back in 2016 by Leon Michels of El Michels Affair. And the soulful texture of all of his songs came through from start to finish. With pieces like “I Got Love”, the overall mood of the show was kind of relaxed, intimate, and also encouraging. Encouraging because of his mostly optimistic lyrics, which didn’t always come across though because the sound was not always really satisfying. It worked best on the slower numbers where Bobby’s voice and his singing style, both sophisticated and dreamy, were the stars.

Bobby, whose 10-day tour through Europe ended in Berlin, also introduced a few new songs from his forthcoming album, produced by El Michels Affair. And it seems that he continues with his laidback, slightly bouncing grooves. His music and his songs have this unobtrusive and elegant air around them. The sequence of the songs he chose to play felt just right and his band was flawless and solid. And we’re looking forward to the release of his third album.