SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JALEN NGONDA – COME AROUND AND LOVE ME

JALEN NGONDA
COME AROUND AND LOVE ME
DAPTONE RECORDS

Every once in a while, an album comes across a reviewer’s desk that heralds the arrival of a significant new talent into the music scene. Come Around and Love Me is one such album, taking the soul revival largely vanguarded by the likes of Gregory Porter and twisting and bending it around the tremendous vocal talent and range of Jalen Ngonda, who’s star looks to be on the ascendancy.

The whole album is a vividly-coloured portrait of Ngonda’s talent. His musicianship, songwriting, and overall joie de vivre shine through each track of this album, at once a nostalgia trip of easier times, all coke floats and root beer, while fiercely modern, bringing classic music into the 21^st century.  It’s a listen that leaves you smiling throughout, and almost from the first note, it’s hard not to think that he’s on the cusp of something great here.

What keeps him on the cusp and not yet over the horizon, is, unfortunately, the lack of a bonafide, guaranteed hit – many of the songs on the album threaten to ascend to that territory, but don’t quite make it – “What A Difference She Made” being the best example, it’s Temptations-like beat almost illegally well-designed for radio. Other than that, though, it’s an album that has to be consumed in full, which is no bad thing, but will keep Ngonda as our little secret for now. We probably won’t be able to say that for much longer, though, so snaffle this while you can.

Artist Links