J.S. Ondara – Tales Of America (2019) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

J.S. Ondara – Tales Of America (2019)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 42:11 minutes | 1,33 GB | Genre: Folk
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Verve Forecast

J.S. Ondara offers a unique take of the American dream on Tales of America, his debut album. Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, J.S. fell in love with Bob Dylan and moved to Minneapolis Minnesota when he was 20 to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter. He notes other musical influences as Neil Young, Noah Gundersen, Damien Rice and Ray LaMontagne. His debut album, Tales of America, is an examination of the American Dream from an outsider’s perspective; an introspection on a universal matter.

The American dream is an inexhaustible subject. It is approached head-on, sideways, from behind, above and below. It is the ultimate fuel for hordes of songwriters; even when they weren’t even born in America. As is the case for J.S. Ondara. This young Kenyan, who his label calls “the link between Tracy Chapman and Michael Kiwanuka” (an easy claim but not wrong), went there to try his luck. In 2013, Ondara dropped anchor at his aunt’s house in Minneapolis. Having only previously known his native Nairobi, the musician took his songs into bars, clubs and even out onto the street, equipped with only his voice and a simple acoustic guitar, perhaps in the hope of becoming a third millennium Bob Dylan. The Dylan of The Freewheelin’, his favourite record; Springsteen’s Nebraska also being one of his top picks… But to limit himself to cloning those giants wouldn’t be very interesting. And Tales of America avoids that. First of all, J.S. Ondara has his own voice. His plaintive tone is a little androgynous and makes him truly unique. On the instrumental side, he adds some more daring flavours with the help of the great Andrew Bird, Griffin Goldsmith from Dawes and Joey Ryan from the Milk Carton Kids duo. In a divided America and a crisis-riddled world, J. S. Ondara’s songs are more than just bandages, they’re powerful balms that penetrate the skin and warm the heart. This is a Qobuzissime that we needed…  – Marc Zisman

Tracklist:

01. J.S. Ondara – American Dream (03:59)
02. J.S. Ondara – Torch Song (04:10)
03. J.S. Ondara – Saying Goodbye (03:50)
04. J.S. Ondara – Days Of Insanity (04:29)
05. J.S. Ondara – Television Girl (03:43)
06. J.S. Ondara – Turkish Bandana (03:42)
07. J.S. Ondara – Lebanon (03:26)
08. J.S. Ondara – Good Question (03:38)
09. J.S. Ondara – Master O’Connor (03:47)
10. J.S. Ondara – Give Me A Moment (03:34)
11. J.S. Ondara – God Bless America (03:48)

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