Ontsofa has provided some neat young talent over the last couple of years;
Anna Broughton's "Cup of Tea" stands out among the stars. Wading
through videos finding the best and brightest musicians out there, Jonathan Whiskerd is found. A shining light in a dark world of hate, as his song
"Battlescars" points out. The London singer-songwriter released his
debut EP Blind Belief back in June. Apart from the full-band titular
track, "Battlescars" notes a traditional singer-songwriter creative
freedom. Where the Nick Drake meets modern indie folk - The Mumford’s. His
Ontsofa session is something special, accompanied by an electric guitar, Whiskerd makes you feel.
"Battlescars" sounds like Seal's neo-soul ca. Space Jam. Combined
with the obligatory R.Kelly - "I Believe I Can Fly". Truth be said, the
R&B is strong in Whiskerd. It may not be the genre he's going for, but his
ballad friendly vocal could shed a tear given the opportunity. Whiskerd sounds
remarkably like Will Varley, the up and coming comedic folk artist we covered a
few months back. This London grrrr voice has been done before, but it's proven
to be successful as Marcus Mumford would happily say. Whiskerd has the voice
for R&B / folk, whether he decides to extend his horizons with cross-genres
is completely his choice. You can release on EP and completely change
direction. Though i'm sure Whiskerd won't be pulling a Braids on us. The instrumental accompaniment
works with the song's story - you can hear Whiskerd's emotion more than
anything. That's what I like about Ontsofa, that's what I like about passionate
young musicians. They have their heart in the music and it makes for a great
listen. I Can 100% see Whiskerd releasing a debut album in the coming years, if
not months.
~Eddie
