Jalen Ngonda’s music is inextricably linked to the soul data of his childhood, however doesn’t wish to be chained to them. The Washington DC-raised, UK-based artist takes his cues from conventional and much-loved data from the scene, however says he’s decided to push them into one thing contemporary.
“To a stranger, I’d say my music is soul/R&B, whereas making an attempt to slot in The Seaside Boys and The Beatles someplace in between,” Ngonda has stated of his sound, and the prioritisation of melody from the music of each of these reference factors can also be written throughout his debut album, ‘Come Round And Love Me’.
Launched through the legendary Daptone label, ‘Come Round And Love Me’ is a splendidly clean, dramatic album of recent soul and R&B, all introduced collectively by an exhilarating, hair-raising voice. Generally, like firstly of the shuffling ‘That’s All I Wished From You’, he’s stretching his voice into an nearly shout with excellent energy. Elsewhere, ‘Misplaced’ sees him swing effortlessly between near-spoken phrase and gentle, melodic singing.
Different highlights come within the type of the irresistibly clean ‘It Takes A Idiot’ and comparably energetic nearer ‘Rapture’, all sure collectively by a voice that’s continually shocking, contemporary and technically excellent.
It’s this virtuosic singing and the pure charisma bursting out of each sinew that units the album, and Ngonda, aside. With the music staying at a largely comparable tempo throughout the album, it’s his voice that gives the facility, selection and a focus. A few of the singer’s reported up to date influences, resembling Angel Olsen, Fleet Foxes and Arctic Monkeys, don’t reduce by means of fairly sufficient into the album’s sound, and furthering the experimentation on future initiatives is an thrilling prospect.
The longer term for Ngonda is unknown, but when ‘Come Round And Love Me’ exhibits – with skilled precision and big reverence – the place he got here from and the music he fell in love with as a baby, album two is perhaps the one to push issues ahead into new territories. As it’s, the debut album units the desk for a vibrant new soul singer with the world at his toes.
Particulars:
- Launch date: September 8
- Document label: Daptone
