Jonathan Sakas has made a name for himself in the realm of Valley electronica as one of the few hitmakers in town capable of getting folks on their feet. His latest album Tomorrow finds Sakas further exploring the feisty beat.
His first LP Albatross released in March of 2010 had a dark air of solemnity Sakas appears to be moving away from in this recent recording. The effect-driven opening track “Memory” finds Sakas holding to melancholy lyrics in his swank monotone voice while the music picked up the pace from earlier recordings.
Tomorrow, like any interesting experiment, has some truly stellar moments as well as some stumbles along the way. “RockX3” sounds more like product of a kid locked in a room with a Casio and effects machine than Sakas’ usually slick style would infer while “Something” and “Let it Go” do touch upon early Nintendo.
“I Just Want to Rock” achieves something truly spectacular for disaffected dance pop and earns Sakas a place among the great movers. “Move” promises and delivers a vital force of motion to the listener while “Drag U Down” combines Sakas’ newer, scrappier self with the more reflective currents of his first LP.
While I feel that Albatross overall was a better album, Tomorrow holds much more promise than Sakas’ other albums. In Tomorrow, the listener finds Sakas delving further into his own sound fearlessly. He is not afraid to see what extent he can push his music. A musician with real talent and authentic interest in exploring the capabilities of digital sound can do wonders for the future of music.
Tomorrow should be listened to. More accurately, it should be danced to. Stagnation is death and Jonathan Sakas shows tremendous signs of life. Get your copy today. Tomorrow is available for free download here.
