If music is expression, the aesthetic of the sounds is the portrait painted with its brush. For Jonah Leatherman, the storied paintbrush of rock and roll is the perfect tool to create a beautiful work of art. He proves this with his release of “Ensuring My Uncertainty,” a powerful and robust new album.
“Overlap” kicks off the album. The mellow harmonies of the intro lure you in before hitting the listener with percussion that sets a pulse. The indie rock style croons of Jonah Leatherman invoke an authentic aesthetic and matches the music perfectly. The bass grooves alongside the drums, but their free-wheeling nature shines through for those listening. Lyrically, the track creates a gloomy atmosphere when combined with the reserved instrumentals. From the top, lines such as “Rushing stream of broken dreams, like a dream my mind grows rings” instantly create a contemplative melancholy that defines the personality of the track. When it all comes together, it creates an indie rock sound that anyone with even a passing interest in the genre will be captivated by. With a surprisingly tropical guitar solo to wrap up the track, “Overlap” does a good job of enticing the listener into the next track.
“Whatever Happened” follows it up. From the top, the marching drums take command and get your blood marching as the ethereal guitars and groovy bass make their first impression. The signature crooning of Jonah Leatherman works perfectly and dances with precision alongside the guitars when they get heavy. It comes together to create a magnetizing melody that you can’t help but groove to and tones itself down when the vocals want to make an impression. Even when the instrumentals begin to swell, Leatherman’s vocals rise to meet them. It’s an excellent follow-up track to “Overlap” and carries its momentum well.
“Clairvoyance” is the next one and you won’t want to skip it. The dreamy guitars that lead the listener in are smashed by the drums that follow it. When the bass kicks in behind the drums, the groove is undeniable. “Clairvoyance” stands out with its bombastic indie rock jams that will make you move along with the song, whether that be nodding with the beat or full-on rocking out. Though the vocals can get drowned out by the rock n’ roll, “Clairvoyance” succeeds in keeping their dream-like aesthetic wholly intact.
The vocal introduction of “My Punishment” is captivating. The soft synths behind Leatherman’s vocals give the intro a dreamy quality which is only doubled down on when the bass shows up on the scene. It gives the track an impressive low-fi vibe that is easy to melt into, with the drums and guitars showing up towards the end of the two-minute mark to wrap it all up with a nice flow. The sorrowful vocals are the focus of the track, however. From the top, lines such as “like moving through unbroken snow, it creeks beneath my feet. Or standing in the western breeze, it whispers to my inadequacy” instantly create the mournfully contemplative atmosphere of the song. It gives “My Punishment” an emotional weight that stands out on the album.
“Beyond The Lines” is another stand-out. The light strums that accompany Leatherman’s vocals rev the track up perfectly for the drums when they begin to pop. The mellow beat from the drums gives the track a grounded feel as the airy guitars reach for the sky alongside the synths. Lyrically, the track is triumphant. Lines such as “beyond my mind, I finally felt the difference in my mental health” at the beginning and “beyond the lines, I finally find I loved a little more of me” are powerful to hear towards the end of the introspective album.
“Ensuring My Uncertainty” is a powerful album. Fundamentally solid and eclectic rock sounds join the soft vocals of Jonah Leatherman, which channels a Tame Impala style aesthetic, to create a listening experience that rivals most mainstream genre offerings today. Tracks such as “Whatever Happened” and “Emergence(y)” rock hard and get your blood pumping while others such as “My Punishment” and “Beyond The Lines” offer a more mellow and emotional foundation. It comes together to make “Ensuring My Uncertainty” a surprise stand-out rock album that should be given a shot by everyone.
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