Concert Review: Jonathan Seale Is A Son of Cloud
Playing The Brooklyn Friends Meeting House, Son of Cloud, a.k.a Jonathan Seale, used technology and folk music to make people see beyond the tall white halls of this religious space. When you think of how many people have used temples and churches to contemplate the meaning of their life or pray for their family to get better, his debut, Son of Cloud, felt just right. With an app in hand and a cloud the lit up according to every rhythm, Seale made magic graspable.
There are those that can never put their phone down, even at concerts, and there are those that are desperate for a moment without a screen. Seale makes a space for both. In the beginning of his concert, he offers the audience the opportunity to download an app that connects to the show by creating constant sounds, lyrics, texts to loved ones, and a game/puzzle that interplays with the show to make your feel like you are both uncovering and creating his sound. For tech lovers, the move is fascinating and revamps the “quiet contemplativeness” that can make folk music such a particular taste. For some, it is not easy to let others get into our head or heart, but, for some reason, our phones do, and Seale has realized that. Thus, he uses people’s obsession to touch a screen for his masterplan.
What you create reveals something about you, and, perhaps, the greatest thing you will ever create is a family. From how you much you miss your loved ones to the lessons they teach you on how to love others, Son of Cloud played his album like it was an homage to your first teacher: family. From siblings or parents to the lovers or friends you choose to make your life partners, family are your first guides on what it means to share your heart, even with fear that doing so means it will break. “How To Love You Today,” “Restoration Song (Hold On),” and “I Love You More” stood as pensively emotional uplifts.
Seale arranges songs that quiet you and make you feel hypnotized by your own silence. All you want to do is listen, which is why, even without the app, he gives a spectacular show. Vocally, he sounds like a creek watering in its own presence. That “hushing” felt perfect for a spiritual room. For More Information On Son of Cloud Click Here.
