Apr 4, 20237 min read

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 - this week: That Guy - Elizmi Haze

Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly - an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝙪𝙮 - 𝙀𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙢𝙞 𝙃𝙖𝙯𝙚

Charles is “that guy”…

“PWhat’s up, everybody?? IT’S ya boy CC, BACK with another episode of Connolly’s Corner. YO favourite place for news, reviews and ALL the latest goings-on-in-the-world-of-unsigned-music. And toDAY we’ve got something real special for ya. THIS time, it’s…” …Wait. This isn’t me. This isn’t me at all. This is everyone else. This isn’t how I do things. This is how everyone else does things. I don’t say “everybody”. I say “everyone”. I don’t copy people. I ain’t afraid to be me. I ain’t afraid of no ghost. By now, you probably know me well enough. You probably think you know me well enough. I’m that guy. That one with the quill. That one boring the hell out of you, week in, week out. That one with the headphones permanently stapled to his ears. That one listening to absolutely everything all of the time, to the extent that everything in life becomes musical. That clink of the teaspoon against the rim of a coffee cup. That ding of the microwave. The tempo of that nearby car alarm that just won’t shut up. That vitamin B pill that could easily double as a shaker if I only had a microphone sensitive enough to capture it. I hear everything. I hear it all too well, and too much. The slightest noise in the middle of the night wakes me with such sudden aggression. My life is attuned to sound. I don’t have perfect pitch, and neither do I have perfect hearing - few do. But still, sound really is my everything. I’m that guy. That guy you’re so eager to please, if you’ve heard of me, because then I might review your latest masterpiece. But you know I am keen on honesty. You just KNOW that. In fact, I detest lying. And you KNOW I also like praise and being liked. Genuine praise. I am human, and I am an artist. So what if you don’t like me? What if I’m NOT your bestest buddy in the world? What if I irritate you to the ends of the Earth with my words and my face? What if being honest and being nice are in conflict with one another? You’d have to choose. Or say nothing. There is always tact, but I can usually see through that. At least you’ve tried. Top marks for trying! Noted. I’m not a judge. I’m not a teacher you have to suck up to. I’m just that guy. That guy who’s always listening.

I have a lot of passion and a lot of emotion, hence the joy of writing these things every week. It gives me the regular creative dollop I need, to feel like I’m not pointless. That’s why I write about things like last week’s Mother’s Day, or the week before’s “future that crept up on us when we weren’t looking”. But every week, I do receive messages from artists, wishing me to review their latest tune, or whether there is a submission or application form to fill in. There isn’t. But I love to hear from fellow artists. It starts the conversation, and starts a good connection with artist and artist, human to human. We’ll be seeing less of these in the near future - humans. I also love to read the comments underneath each article. It gives me such joy that people are actually reading what I’m writing. And as to the artists I’m reviewing, they seem ecstatic to have been picked for that week’s hurrah! Well, some do. But some don’t. Most of these messages and comments I receive are from artists I have not yet reviewed. Now this could be that they are hoping to be seen regularly by me, and that I might just pay attention and review their song one day. Or, they might just be decent human beings and genuinely enjoy what I have to say. I am very easily brought up into the clouds of happiness, but I am equally prone to being dragged down to the pits of lowness. It doesn’t take much. Hence me being a sensitive chap. I’m that guy. So it crushes me when I hear absolutely zero from artists I review. Two in a row have said nothing to me. No comment. No tweet. Not even a “like”. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Nil. Nothing. Actually, one shared it on Facebook, and the other shared a story on Instagram. Which although good for them, is kind of worse, because it means they definitely saw and read it, but didn’t think to say a thing. Now, I am not after praise. Just a kind thank you would suffice, whether it be in public or in private (private means more) - both would be ideal. It’s only manners. And I don’t mind being public about this because we all KNOW that they won’t be reading this. Yes, this is brutal honesty. I’m that guy. These are still great artists though, and I’m pleased I took the time to listen and speak. They will also remain on my Connolly’s Corner playlist. I’m that guy.

I think some New Artist Spotlight newcomers might not realise that I am an artist of sorts in the musical scheme of things. That I am not just writer of weekly articles. I’m the bloke who wrote that Europe song and that Spotlight song. This is what I do. I write and produce songs. And I fix/mix/produce for anyone who’s willing, but I won’t bore you with that right now. This music side of me is hardly surprising, given my obsession with sound. It’s just who I am. I’m that guy.

Now, since the word ”guy” is these days seemingly acceptable for both man and woman, I will move from one guy to another. That guy to this guy, this guy to that. This guy of whom I speak did NOT come to me with an overly flattering message that just so happens to contain a link to their latest single. This guy did not come to me at all. I was simply perusing the new releases within the New Artist Spotlight community, and came across that guy. Not THIS guy. THAT Guy. I mean, not THAT guy. Ugh, the song is called “That Guy”. That is what I meant. It’s the latest single from a particularly supportive member of the NAS, called Elizmi Haze. She, is this guy. And this guy’s That Guy is wicked. Any foreigners among you, don’t even attempt to use Google Translate for this one - it just won’t work. Elizmi is definitely one to watch. She is consistently putting out hit after hit, and has been since 2016, on and off. So why have I waited so long to review her? Well, she only joined the New Artist Spotlight towards the end of January, and I wanted to just make sure she still has what it takes. Spoiler alert: she does. And she is yet another English artist, this time from Kent. England seems to be on FORM lately, with NAS members CHVRLI BLVCK, Eleanor Collides and Emily Gray all recently managing to achieve spots on BBC Introducing shows across the nation. Let’s hope the same happens for Elizmi Haze! I am proud to be one of the 14k followers (!) she has on Instagram.

Warm synth strings wash over us with hopeful bittersweet sorrow, as processed vocal samples nonchalantly laser us in the eye. The piano watches on, reverb tails and all. Both beat and voice agree it’s a draw as to who will go first, but the kick drum cheats a little and gets a head start. Bear in mind this cheeky beat… Elizmi’s meaningful voice is at the forefront with resonance. She sounds raw from her recent past. That bullying element of life that can strip us of any positivity. But despite being skinned, she still retains the strength of a bull. Elizmi will fight until it’s over; her last gasp. Just a few vocal lines later, that cheeky beat gets into full swing and races ahead. It’s a beat that brings us back to those wonderfully heady times of Jungle, Drum ’n’ Bass and the UK Garage scene. I can’t quite explain why, but I have always loved UK Garage. I don’t even own a car! And as for Jungle, those early neon 90s days were like no other. I should know - I was about 9. Raving away like a mad man. Elizmi brings a certain diction and tone quite similar to Adele in the lower register. But also with strong notes of Becky Hill in terms of English sassiness, and Ariana Grande in terms of the younger upper vocal register. There is also something of Morcheeba in this fascinating voice of Haze. The energy builds as the song progresses, to the extent that your polite nodding has turned into a full-on living room shuffle - the WHOLE room. Little camped-up flicks of the wrist in quicktime 8th notes (for younger musicians) or quavers (for older ones). “Oh, THAT’S what a quaver is!”, says the youth - yup, not just a crispy cheesy wave of delight. In fact, it has always amused me that the usual dance of a hardened drum ’n’ bass lover is just as camp as a conductor whose orchestra is nearing their final crescendo. Those little flicks of the little white stick, hair a bouncin’ and a-flailin’. Whether in the Royal Albert Hall or in an East End club, it’s a wicked way to move, in the good sense of the word. And speaking of the club, Elizmi belongs in the club. She and That Guy. It’s called destiny. The bass rolls and rumbles with gorgeous analog distortion, making it cut through on the smallest and the biggest of speakers. I just LOVE it when the original sounds like a club remix!!! And yes, this is an original. Her original. A club classic for the future. With that familiar flick of the wrist, Elizmi tosses a boomerang. It makes us move, then comes straight back to her for another swing.

This guy’s That Guy’s got what you want, and THIS guy’s gonna GIVE it to ya. Take THAT, Google Translate!

Listen to 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝙪𝙮 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!

Listen to 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝙪𝙮 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Apple Music playlist HERE!

Follow 𝙀𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙢𝙞 𝙃𝙖𝙯𝙚 on Instagram HERE!

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