Without sounding like too much of a muppet the best way for me to review this record was to look at it from 2 points of view, one being the Jonah fanboy I really am and the other is just a normal person listening to this for the first time! The problem is both are troubling me a little!
First off, as a Jonah fan, so if you've never heard of the guy, please ignore this and skip to the next part!
Opening with the exceedingly familiar "So Long", this record jumps out to a strong start, and then almost meanders into a folky/country record, I just kept waiting for that rocking up tempo tune, and it didn't come! I was waitng for a "Smile" or "We had a deal", and sadly nothing (unless you count the extra bonus track). 'AND' sits somewhere closer to Onelinedrawing's "Visitor" in its simplicity of sound, but is much less quirky in its approach. It lacks the diversity of "The Volunteers" and at times feels more like the slower moments of New End Original. Sadly gone are the quirky casio drums, that made his records sounds so individual; whilst his honesty remains, the passion is lacking. This outing maybe more honest to the Jonah we've seen (countless times) live but it almost lacked the energy to capture my attention on record. Saying that, I am sure it will all be a different experience live, and perhaps, with a few more listens. But, at the moment, I'm left with a weird sense of anticipation, waiting patiently for this record to come to life, and this is what saddens me a little about it.
Stand out tracks, So Long, I Can't Read Yr Mind, Waving or Drowning.
Second off, to a non Jonah fan (or normy, as we call you), what you are faced with is another singer from a hardcore/punk/rock band's acoustic outing, whilst Jonah Matranga has come a long long way from his younger days in Far (insertlink here) and done wonders to strive a new identity for himself, this outing does not scream out as his strongest. It does blur slightly in amongst the folk/country/acoustic offering that are appearing thick and fast from frontmen of various bands, when you compare this to The Secret Show (Matt-Funeral for a Friend), Greg Graffin (Bad Religion), Chuck Regan (Hot Water Music), Walter Schriefels (Rival Schools), Frank Turner (Million Dead), Dustin Kensrue (Thrice), ...this list is seemingly endless, but there was a point! Whilst Jonah has strived to make a new identity for himself, away from his hardcore roots, at the moment amongst the sea of solo projects this just blurs into a busy pack rather than screaming out!
Summary:
To the fans: this isn't a stand out record, but lets hear it live first! We all know that is how it's meant to be heard, then make a better judgement. The main problem is here we have one of the trailblazers of the solo/acoustic thing, blending into a crowd! And that just makes me sad!
To the non-fans: there are people out there in a similar poistion recording music just like this, that is far catchier, but Jonah Matranga has written some wonderfully heartfelt and passionate songs, so if this holds any interest to you I would strongly recommend checking out Onelinedrawing's "The Volunteers" and working from there. He has a massive back catalogue of albums and ep's under various names, but all in all this is not his best work.
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