REVIEW
In 2006, after releasing his revamped Oak Park 92105 album, titled Oak Park 921'06, the multi-talented, multi-genred and multifarious artist TONEX (pronounced "toe-nay") headed off to England to record The London Letters, a smooth jazz collection with European flair. The London Letters is the 12th album in the storied career of TONEX, who is known mostly for his roots in the gospel music scene, but has always been one to experiment with many different genres which include, but is not limited to, hip-hop, r&b, rock, pop, electro, trance, neo-soul, and, with this album, smooth jazz.The album starts off with TONEX reciting a letter to his friend in a fake British accent, and then progresses into the heavy subject matter of adultery in "Honestly". TONEX delves into the soul of a married man who is trying to end an illicit affair that has gone on too long. This song aptly describes a man's realistic struggle between his need for instant gratification and the innate good conscience that tells him he's doing the wrong thing, the war between them, and the tension that results.
"Drowning" follows right after, and you can't help but fall in love with the lilting strings, the plaintive piano, the rush of the ocean currents, and TONEX's dream-like interpretation of the effects of romantic infatuation. "Ciao Bella" has the aura of the collaborations of classic jazz greats Stan Getz and Joao and Astrud Gilberto. TONEX's smooth vocals blend in well with the latin instrumental backing, and you will like the smoky jazz lounge vibe that exudes from this track.
In "Coffee Philosophy", TONEX perfectly captures the coffee house atmosphere: people clicking away on their laptop computers, drinking steamy cups of latte, and some obscure world music playing in the background. One of the better tracks on the album bar none. "Speaking N Tongues" is by far the most inventive song, where TONEX actually creates a melody out of ecstatic utterances (known as "speaking in tongues" in evangelical church circles). Not sure if this song was a parody of the phenomenon or an affirmation of speaking in a spiritual language, but nevertheless, a track that speaks to the immensely innovative abilities of TONEX.
Other recommended stand-outs on this album include: "My Pride", which explores the complexities of relationships, particularly between husbands and wives—distinctly from a male perspective, "Maverick", a song about staying true to one’s artistic sensibilities regardless of whether or not it’s accepted by the music industry, and "U Got Me", a song in which TONEX explores the topic of a man constantly trying to reassure an insecure woman about his faithfulness, telling her bluntly "you got me, so don't worry 'bout a thing".
One does not have to be a jazz buff to enjoy this album. If you are one who has an appreciation for good "grown folk" music, what you get with "The London Letters" is fluent, stylish, and even spiritual in some ways. The London Letters is available on iTunes, Yahoo Music, and Emusic.com. It will definitely be a progressive addition to your music collection.
To find out more information on TONEX, you can find him at his official myspace website: www.myspace.com/theofficialtonex