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Jon Muq - Flying Away
With a story unlike any other - Ugandan Jon Mug has emerged as a musical force to be reckoned with on his reflective and forward thinking debut Flying Away that tells the story of Muq's life to date through a stirring mix of afropop, folk and soul.
After busking at home locally a video of him singing in the streets made its way to Norwegian Cruise who hired him to be a performer on their giant ship. There - he honed his repertoire, learned to play on rough seas and tilted stages and eventually made his way to Austin's local music scene. Ultimately, he caught the ear of Nashville's Dan Auerbach who produced the record for his Easy Eye Sound label.
Muq's bio describes the young artist obsessively learning "We Are The World" on CD-R - a process that helped him hone his own take on the English language while formulating an impressive Lionel Richie impression in the process. So, it's no wonder that much of Flying Away recalls the tones from that era with Jon channeling Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon and Tracy Chapman at times over the course of his remarkable opening statement.
Still, comparisons aside - Muq is nothing if not unique and convincing as he steps onto the world stage and into the ears of potentially millions of listeners around the planet. Songs like "Bend" find him embracing a contempoary and very pleasing approach that introduces a more bluesy and pop vocal style that to these ears is an instant classic.
Later - "Love, Love, Love" is bouncy, hopeful and uplifting with just a small foray into falsetto from Mug that is worthy of further exploration on future releases. "Hello Sunshine" also embodies a persistent optimism with the potential to reach a broader listening audience. Overall, Flying Away is a remarkable start for the unlikeliest of pop stars. Still, the real question is where does he go from here?
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Review by Rockin' Rich Lynch |
Jon Muq
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