On Day 23, I wrote about Nairobi-born alt-Americana singer J.S. Ondara, whose "Tales of America" was one of the soundtracks of my early coronavirus experience.
Not content with leaving it at that, Ondara (now performing just under the last name; if you're scoring at home, he has now recorded as Jay Smart, J.S. Ondara, and Ondara) released a surprise album in May called "Folk N' Roll Vol 1: Tales of Isolation."
Described as an act of therapy by the artist, the acoustic album was written and recorded over the course of six days while Ondara was in lockdown in Minneapolis. While this pace contributes to an unrefined, on-the-nose sound at times, the urgency and desperation shine through, cementing the sheer magnitude of this accomplishment. Ondara also manages to stay mostly non-political, which is another amazing feat in and of itself.
Ondara declared that the personal is the universal, and that is evident in standouts "Pulled Out of the Market," "From Six Feet Away," and "Isolation Blues (Blame It on the Pathogen)." Reminding of Dylan, Paul Simon, and Jack White, "Ballad of Nana Doline" is a beautiful narrative. The most poignant song for me, however, was "Lock Down on Date Night Tuesday," a haunting lamentation on the struggles to maintain intimacy during a quasi-quarantine.
It's clear that Ondara is a machine that won't be stopped by the conventions of the music industry or even a global pandemic. The album cover perfectly captures the bizarre nature of our times, while the promise of a second volume gives hope that more musical inspiration lies just down the deserted road.
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