Jonny Ong – Don’t Wake Me From This Dream (2022)
Known for his outstanding performances on and off stage, singer-songwriter Jonny Ong is a natural talent in front of audiences and in the studio. Hailing from Singapore, but now residing in the UK, the London-based Ong has an enigmatic sound to ensnare your senses. Influenced by iconic bands like The Doors, The Who and The Beatles, his style brings yesteryear to modern-day audiences. In 2021 we sang his praises in our review of ‘Taking Silence’, but he has also received critical acclaim from Pop Spoken, Music News, Indie Music, Essentially Pop and Voice Mag (to name a few).
Described by Vents Magazine as perfectly blending influences, skills, instruments and songwriting, Jonny Ong has a natural talent for composition, and he’s just as good when it comes to singing. With innately beautiful musicality, his new single ‘Don’t Wake Me From This Dream’ is a sonic masterpiece. Once again, we see (or rather hear) the influences of 1960s rock/pop music; however, there is a contemporary edginess in his sound as he combines jazz undertones with a rock flair.
Following his album Isolated, ‘Don’t Wake Me From This Dream’ is an evolution in Ong’s sound. While Ong retains a strong jazz flavour throughout the song, it lies beneath a stronger rock-inspired tone. Dynamic guitars meld with drums and an interspersed piano into a harmonic, well-textured arrangement. What I love about ‘Don’t Wake Me From This Dream’ is not the harmonic instrumentation, but the way Ong moves from heavier rock to softer jazz mid-way through the track. Yet, it doesn’t stay soft as he returns to the rock-inspired sound from a gentle piano solo.
A great fan of Chicago, I am drawn to old-school jazz and funk-rock tunes – and Jonny Ong is right up there with those legends. Sincere, sentimental and intoxicating, I recommend this overwhelmingly brilliant multi-instrumentalist to all audiences.
For more from Jonny Ong check out his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
