onelinedrawing

Why Jonah Matranga isn’t a huge star is one of life’s little mysteries. The talented former Sacramentan, who fronted the loud, ahead-of-its-time group Far before moving a) in a singer-songwriterly direction and b) to Berkeley, is certainly in the bull’s eye of the current Zeitgeist. On this, his first full-length CD for the well-regarded indie label Jade Tree, Matranga has fashioned a collection of glorified bedroom recordings that range from whisper-perfect confessionals to, well, as rock ’n’ roll as you can get on the cheap with a drum machine. Of the former, “Why Are We Fighting?” is the kind of breaking-voice-with-gasping-breath sincerity known to melt sensitive hearts; of the latter, “Smile” is a (relative) rave-up with a boffo toy R2D2 solo. Visitor may be heavy on the former, but Matranga’s earnestness is balanced by the kind of levity you don’t find on the usual digital suicide notes.