Jordan Rakei & Jalen Ngonda
“What It Gave Me”
A Fontana Records Recording
Jordan Rakei has released some of my favorite records in recent years, most recently with “The Loop,” which has been in heavy rotation ever since it dropped last year. Great lyrics, great heart.
His ability to compose and sing earned him a coveted opportunity – the first-ever artist-in-residence at Abbey Road. (You might be familiar with the Beatles association.) Over 18 months, he had full access to the studios, the recording equipment and the history. What do you do with that?
Well, we’re starting to get our first taste of how he used it -- a lovely retro-soul nugget collaborating with Jalen Ngonda, a Daptone Records artist who brings the soul of the 1960s to a contemporary artist with charm and a voice that speaks to any generation that hears it.
The duo paired up for “What It Gave Me,” a lovely duet that puts both of their voices on full display that leans more into the retro soul bonafides of Ngonda with the composition skills of Rakei (who isn’t too far behind in matching his voice).
There’s that rich thump of a Motown track throughout. It reminds me of the brilliant covers that Ike & Tina Turner navigated back in the day, putting their soulful spin on Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and the Beatles’ “Come Together.”
I often think of retro-soul like collage art -- there’s a thin line between brilliant work and run-of-the-mill worship of a bygone era. “What It Gave Me” is the brilliant part.
If your ears were blind folded, you wouldn’t be able to tell me if this was 1967 Atlantic Records or now.
And I can’t get enough.
