This is Jonah Sonz Matranga's solo album. As noted in the liner notes to the CD, it was recorded "in homes by Jonah". This album is truly DIY, but is just as good as any other CD that was recorded in a major studio, costing major bucks. I think what makes this CD so great is the passion that shines through in Jonah's heartfelt, beautifully sung vocals. In every song the emotion pours through, like a river overflowing at its banks (I wrote this during after my long drive home during Hurricane Floyd, don't you like the imagery). Jonah is best known for his days with his "major label" band, Far. I was first introduced to Far at last years famed CMJ (College Music Journal) Festival in New York City. I hadn't even heard of the band until that night in New York City. A few friends of mine that I was attending the festival with could not stop raving about this band called Far. Far tended to bring in fans of the hard rock and metal genres, due to their "large" guitar sound. But what impressed me so much about this band was their frontman Jonah. I knew this man had talent, and it was shining that night through the emotion and feeling he poured out on the stage. Shortly after seeing Far in New York I got word that Far was breaking up. This news disappointed me, I had just seen and found out about one of the best live bands ever, and they were breaking up. A few months after Far's breakup I got an email from Jonah. Jonah was letting everyone know about his new side project. This news made me extremely happy. I dropped Jonah an email and told him about Decapolis.com and the radio show I have. It wasn't very long before I had a copy of this CD in my mailbox. The CD is a 6 song EP, and I can honestly say I enjoy every song. Musically this is definitely different than what people have come to expect from Far. But if you liked Far because of Jonah's true passion for music, then I think you will love Jonah's new material. The songs that really stood out to me on this CD are, "Better Than This", "Aeroplanes" and "14 to 41". Another track titled, "15,000", gives an interesting commentary on the lottery, while "Breathless" almost has a Damien Jurado style folk feel to it. My only complaint is I wish there were more songs on the CD. If you're interested in finding out more about this CD, or ordering it, visit www.onelinedrawing.com. Jonah is very active as far as the internet goes, and he is very negotiable with the cost of this CD. Basically if you can afford to pay $10, then it costs $10. If you're a little low on cash then you can basically pay for it what you can afford. Jonah just wants people to hear the beautiful music that he writes.
B+
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis 1999Reviewed by ConradThis is eclectic acoustic folk. While the music is certainly creative enough it lacks any pull that other singer/songwriters have in their lyrics and music. The songs aren't that bad, but they aren't that good either. The album tries its emotional pull by putting feeling into all aspects of the music. This is all well and good, but I just wasn't into this particular emotion - so the album just…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by MarkThis release contains some of the worst sound quality I've ever heard. At one point, I actually thought my speakers were blown! My guess is that it was recorded on a 4-track with the recording levels set too high. If you can make it through the production, you'll find some pretty decent soft guitar tunes. The singer has a soft, pleasing voice which compliments the ultra lo-fi soft guitar rock.…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by TimI don't believe in that DIY stuff. I am starting to think that people use the 'DIY' label just as an excuse of a poor recording and bad artwork. Nevertheless, the songs on here are decent. This is one of those records where you just have to be in the mood to listen to it. C-Decapolis 1999Reviewed by Matt AAfter seeing Jonah perform live and being totally blown away at this year's CMJ music conference I was really excited to finally hear this EP, and it didn't disappoint me either. I have the highest respect for Jonah because he's doing what he loves and playing anywhere possible, and he plays some absolutely beautiful laid back indie music. The song "14 to 41" is good, catchy indie pop and it's…
