Jonah Yano - Jonah Yano & The Heavy Loop (2024) [Hi-Res]

Jonah Yano is one for a slow burn when it suits him, given that the first single from his latest full effort, the tender jam "Concentrate," came out almost a year before the release of Jonah Yano and the Heavy Loop itself in 2024. But a little anticipation can't hurt when it lands, and in following up on his notable, moving work on the themes of family and memory, 2023's portrait of a dog, Yano definitely seems to be ready to answer the self-posed question of what would happen if orchestrated soul/rock/pop that's also quiet storm R&B jazz all at once was one singular genre—and he was the one making it, as well as singing falsetto with gentle, warm ease. The equally sharp Clairo, Ouni and Helena Deland, all past collaborators, make guest appearances—that's also Clairo on clarinet on "Concentrate"—but the core of the album's performance comes from a group of players he'd recruited over the previous two years. His skillful direction is immediately evident from the opening track "Devotion," down to its deft touch of a guitar feedback squall, which evokes a sense of deep blue melancholy. What's equally remarkable is how, after the album's first seven, standard-length tracks, Yano and his group conclude with "The Heavy Loop," a half-hour composition with occasional vocals that explicitly showcases the free-flowing jazz-forward approach that crops up on the rest of the songs as accentuation. By letting it all fly here, it's a strong statement of ambition for the future. © Ned Raggett

Tracklist:
1 Devotion
2 Concentrate
3 No Petty Magic
4 Romance ESL
5 Snowpath
6 The Language of Coincidence
7 Someone Asked Me How I've Been
8 The Heavy Loop