by Charles Hoyt (@charlesbhoyt)
Upon first listen of Jalen Ngonda’s debut record, Come Around and Love Me, out now on Brooklyn-based Daptone Records, I am transported to my father’s 1996 Volvo station wagon with Atlantic Soul Classics stuck in the cassette deck. Evoking Marvin Gaye, Ngonda’s falsetto and beautiful orchestration is a modern interpretation of the classic soul music many of us grew up on. It’s hard not to immediately feel a sense of nostalgia for Motown oldies and soul when listening to tracks such as “What a Difference She Made” and “Just Like You Used to Do” with their tight instrumentation and themes of unrequited love, heartbreak, and becoming a better person for the person you love.
Beyond Ngonda’s impressive vocal performance and songwriting, what stood out on Come Around and Love Me was the backing band’s performance, particularly the rhythm section. Mike Buckley and Vincent Chiarito (both of Charles Bradley's Extraordinaires) have a big presence but are considerate to highlight Ngonda’s powerful delivery. With a record like this, it is difficult to exactly point a finger on which tracks stand out the most. There is so much emotion, strength, intimacy, and talent throughout each of the eleven songs.
“Just Like You Used to Do” is immediately reminiscent of Marvin Gaye with its strong bass, use of background singers, and conga drums on top of a regular drum kit. The saxophone solo towards the middle of the song perfectly compliments Ngonda’s falsetto and was such a lovely addition to this song. “Rapture” is a strong closing track with its driving rhythm section and large orchestral accompaniment. This song is one of Jalen Ngonda’s strongest performances on the album but leaves you wanting more.
Jalen Ngonda and his band have an incredible knack for not only revitalizing, but honoring and respecting the classic soul singers of the twentieth century by cultivating a new, but familiar sound that would feel at home in a seventies crime movie, a diner jukebox, or in your grandparent’s living room.