Rating: 5/5
Review:
An excellent debut
This is really good. I tried it because J.S. Ondara has an
interesting backstory of immigration from Kenya to the USA, but it
turns out to be rather special, I think.
Ondara has a
beautiful, slightly breathy tenor voice which sometimes moves to
falsetto and he writes very good, straightforward songs with
thoughtful, intelligent lyrics. He sings of the joy of being in
America and also of its struggles, and he sings with real heart; the
combination gives his songs a genuine depth and sincerity which I
find extremely engaging. The arrangements are generally quite
simple, but this and pitch-perfect production gives a really
atmospheric feel to the whole thing. Although their voices are
wholly different, I think the album’s feel reminds me a little of
Springsteen’s Nebraska – which is very high praise indeed.
I would urge you to
try Tales Of America. I was surprised by how good it is and can
recommend it very warmly.
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