Jalen Ngonda’s sophomore album, Doctrine of Love, has dropped, and the singer’s love for the ’60s and ’70s still feels like a live tribute instead of a museum tour. Ngonda reconnected with collaborators Vince Chiarito and Michael Buckley for the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Come Around and Love Me. Chiarito and Buckley were members of Charles Bradley’s Extraordinaires, and their production style has the young singer’s raspy falsetto sounding more analog than digital. He stated in a press release that “It’s no exaggeration to say that every day of my life I wish I would wake up in 1964 in Detroit recording with the Funk Brothers. But that’s not my life. So what I can do is express my thoughts and my fascination with that sound and period and just be an artist.” Doctrine of Love has the Motown feel and, most of all, Ngonda’s conviction, strutting through his favored era like a peacock in full plumage.
The magic starts right out of the gate with “Anyone In Love”; it sets a mesmerizing tone and immediately hooks you. Ngonda is special in his ability to completely capture the definitive essence of the past without ever letting it sound stale or recycled. It’s a rare tightrope walk, but it’s something Daptone Records has always mastered. Much like the legendary Sharon Jones or Charles Bradley, Ngonda operates as a clear throwback, yet the music arrives sounding entirely fresh, vibrant, and urgent for the modern day.
Ngonda isn’t just replicating old master tapes; he is breathing new life into a classic blueprint. The songs on Doctrine of Love feel more intimate, letting his raspy, soaring falsetto carry the emotional weight. He might never get his wish to wake up in 1964 Detroit, but with an album as fiercely authentic as Doctrine of Love, Ngonda succeeds in bringing the best of that magic straight into the present day.
The Doctrine of Love North American tour will start this fall. Ngonda will appear at some festivals during the summer and in Europe. Tickets can be purchased directly from his official site.
