Self-Released – 12 March 2021
A pandemic, prejudice, politcs and somehow positivity
To hear Jonah Matranga is to love him. Matranga has been crafting emotional tunes for 30 years already, and one would think the proverbial well is bound to run dry… but it hasn’t yet. As an unquestionable and inimitable scene pioneer Jonah is probably among your favorite songwriters’ favorite songwriters. The former frontman of Far, New End Original and Gratitude along with solo project Onelinedrawing has released a new solo album Psongs. And unsurprisingly its fucking brilliant.
Jonah has a super unique vocal presence; in the span of a single bar, the man can alternate from sweet reassurances whispered like a father tucking in a child for bedtime to the primal emotion of a stubbed toe. I was recently discussing with a friend how hard to describe Jonah’s presence on a microphone is, and while I compared his raw emotions to those that made Janis Joplin a star, he was quick to (correctly) point out that “unlike Janis, Jonah can actually sing his ass off.”
Psongs opens with the emotionally stirring “Get A Dog” which may very well be a song about the start of a new relationship, but with lines like “I want to get to see the world with you/Get to fall asleep/Get to tackle heavy shit/And get to laugh when we get tangled up/And kiss the cuts when scars get opened up” it could easily be an invitation onto Jonah’s journey as he chronicles so many of the obstacles we have faced over the last 365 days on this rock floating through a sky full of stars. “Tenderwild” brings the album tempo up, the way the fresh love being sung about can do to anyone’s daily routine before the anthemic “This Is Water.”
This (personal favorite) track tackles the socio-economic disparity in America in a manner which is impossible to ignore, even more impossible to not tap your toes to. Commentaries on late-stage capitalism aren’t supposed to slap like this. This is a song that could easily pass for the prom-after party montage on a CW-style teen drama, but lyrically there is so much bubbling under in the content, the melodies and Jonah’s vocals.
The depths of subject matter rolls into “Don’t Give Up” as Jonah addresses issues he admittedly may never understand but stands and sings in solidarity with. As the title suggests, the song pushes an “always forward” mantra to the oft-minimalized, before journaling the realization and self-awareness that comes from recognizing the blessings Jonah received simply by being born with less melanin in his complexion than others in “When I Did Drugs.”
Psongs continues to take personal dives into public issues and inject positivity and pleas for perseverance. Whether he’s building a community of seraphims like in “Everyday Angels” or teaming up with English vocalist Liam Frost to celebrate those of us who survived the pandemic, politics and personal trials of the last 12 months on “Hell of A Year,” Jonah has a knack for lifting his listeners up despite the enormous weight he knows sits on each of our chests.
Jonah Matranga is a troubadour of our times, our scene. The man has consistently and without fail inspired and impressed his community of friends and fans. You may have noticed I referred to him throughout as Jonah, a familiarity typically left out of reviews and write-ups. That’s because the content and character of the music he has released over the last 4 decades builds a relationship and even though I have only met him once for a brief thank you and handshake following a set in Asbury Park, the greatest gift in the music of Jonah in all of his incarnations, is the connection he develops, turning his fans into family. His pandemic livestreams, social media presence and musical output all percolate with sincerity and love. Psongs does not disappoint in this regard as it manages to bring those of us listening together, no matter the social distance we keep to keep each other safe.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
