New boy on the soul block, JALEN NGONDA (above) has made quite a name for himself with the singles he’s released over the last 12 months or so. Based on the quality of those singles, his upcoming album, ‘Come Round And Love Me’ is eagerly awaited. It’s due via Daptone next week – September 8th and the label’s keeping a tight hold on the promos. Good marketing, I guess!
In the meantime, helping build the hype, Daptone have just released a new 45 offering two of the album’s cuts. The A side is a raw, searing, busy 60s flavoured mid-tempo groove ’Thats All I Wanted From You’. It’s a lovely old school productions and for someone so young, Jalen has a mighty expressive, mature soul voice. Maybe he gargles with sand paper!
The disc’s putative B side is a different affair – a sweet and beautiful, Low Rider style ballad, ’So Glad I Found You’. Here, the sound recalls the early work of Gamble and Huff – when they were finding their way, long before they’d set up PIR. The remarkable falsetto also shows another side to Jalen’s vocal artistry. Bring on the album!
