JONT plays the Free Times Café June 4, the Local June 11 and the Tranzac June 20. See listing. Rating: NNNN
Improbable but true: UK troubadour Jont recently relocated to Halifax after finding out last year he had an eight-year-old daughter living there. Yet Hello Halifax is more about an emotional or spiritual arrival than a physical one. Though the record opens with a ballad about not being a churchgoer, most of these gospel folk tunes sound like letters to old friends – or perhaps himself – offering messages of love and hope, forgiveness and healing.
The album was recorded on two continents in three studios, but it has a cohesive sound: melodic and earthy upright bass, trombone, cello, mandolin, baritone ukulele and keys fill out Jont’s acoustic guitar-driven tunes. Nova Scotia songwriter Jennah Barry and London-based Eska sing backup. What makes the songs endearing is that Jont doesn’t claim to have all the answers. Easily moving from sing-talking to singing and from self-admonishment to unfettered romance, he draws the listener in with conversational half-rhymes and simple, anthemic choruses.
Top track: Lucky Leaf Falls
