The out of time music historian strikes gold once again.
Jalen Ngonda claims not to listen to any music made after 1972. He has an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of Stax and Motown having been gifted a decent starting collection from his Grandma in his youth. Born and raised in Maryland near Washington D.C., but finished in LIPA at Liverpool and by busking in London he is a quite extraordinary human being. His 2023 debut album had a huge reach and impact. Already this year he has released a collaboration with Jordan Rakei and appeared on Gorillaz epic new album The Mountain. He is supporting Olivia Dean across Europe and the pair of them might well make for the most incredible gigs available this year.
The desire to recreate the music of a specific style and time period is filled with danger. Turn it into too much of a history lesson and it lacks authenticity. Don’t hit the standards of the originals and you risk ending up as a cheap copy, derivative and lacking. Ngonda sidesteps every pitfall on this spirited and quite remarkable collection.
The main reason the album works so well is it is not pastiche, not a pale imitation, but a collection of songs good enough for any of those Motown greats to perform themselves. Ngonda does not so much mimic Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Stevie Wonder as put out a collection to match any of them.
This album is an utter joy from start to finish. An easy listen that grows on you with each run through. Not a history lesson, but a celebration of a style no longer favoured. ‘Anyone In Love’ was easily one of the best tracks released in 2024 when it first came out. Our biggest regret this year might well be not getting to his headline show at The Oxford Academy back in April. He may never have to play in a venue that small again.
Essential Tracks: ‘Anyone In Love,’ ‘Doctrine Of Love,’ ‘Burning Temptation,’ ‘Love is Gone,’ ‘If I Can’t Ever Leave You’ and ‘Hang It On The Shelf.’
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