Jalen Ngonda LUU Stylus Gig Review

The act of revivalism is something which is ever-present within any perception of the music industry. Whether it be the seemingly endless new renditions of the post-punk revival sound that tend to crop up in a different continent every few years, or the disco revival that has been slowly creeping into the UK charts as of late – the idea of calling back to a previously popular sound as a stylistic choice has cemented its place amongst the modern music landscape.

Enter Jalen Ngonda, an American-born, Liverpool-based singer-songwriter who channels the golden era of soul through generational vocal ability. He takes to the stage at Leeds’ University Stylus donning a jet black turtleneck, where he is greeted by the smiles and cheers of a sellout crowd.

His debut album Come Round & Love Me, released just last year, was met with widespread acclaim. It showcased his masterful songwriting chops alongside a classic soul backdrop, the tracklist of which makes up the bulk of the evening’s set. ‘It Takes A Fool’, allows delicate vocal tones to cruise over a crunchy bassline and tight percussion – one of the rare moments where the audience can avert their eyes and ears from Jalen himself.

For the overwhelming majority of the performance, all attention sits with the vocal prowess on display. The opening notes of each track are often met with murmurs of bewilderment – not often are you treated to such calculated control over a voice with this much dynamic range. There is no time wasted in demonstrating the lower register of his voice either, the bridge of ‘That’s All I Wanted From You’ being the biggest indicator that this is a performer of seismic talent.

In a slightly slower but similarly captivating portion of the set, the rhythm section finishes gearing up for crowd favourite slow-jam ‘Lost’. Jalen exclaims that “this is one for anyone you have a crush on” – before using his transatlantic credentials to quip that the line “usually works a bit better in the states”.

More album tracks are delivered with astounding precision and instrumental flair, as bluesy guitar solos from Jalen are peppered across the evening to keep the audience on their toes. You’ll even find a wry smile on his face after hitting some of the biggest notes of the evening, suggesting that along with everyone else in the room, he is well aware of just how good he is.

Naturally, comparisons will be drawn to the forefathers of soul that Jalen Ngonda does so well to be in the same breath as – but after a smash debut album and a truly electrifying tour under his belt, he is making a case for leading the charge in a brand new era of soul music entirely.

By George Webb