If Jalen Ngonda had emerged in the early 1970s, his name would likely have appeared alongside soul’s defining voices. The only difference is that he happens to be making this music now, and contemporary music is richer for it. In Ngonda, we are dealing with a rare artist whose voice and presence feel entirely at home in a tradition that has never really gone away. His music draws deeply from classic soul’s emotional grammar: aching falsetto, slow-burning arrangements, and a sense of intimacy that makes every line feel personally addressed. There is an almost disarming emotional depth to his singing, moving effortlessly between vulnerability and control, tenderness and quiet force. Ngonda’s widely praised debut album “Come Around and Love Me” from 2023 is steeped in classic soul yet alive with its own sense of urgency and warmth. Since then, he has continued to build momentum through a steady run of singles, most recently the collaboration with Jordan Rakei on the smooth, reflective track “What It Gave Me”. This summer, Jalen Ngonda brings his deeply felt, live-wired soul to Way Out West.