Review

By Abby Clair | 11/06/2026

One of the more heartening developments in contemporary soul has been watching Jalen Ngonda emerge not as a nostalgia act, but as a songwriter capable of inhabiting the language of classic R&B while making it feel startlingly alive. His debut, Come Around And Love Me, was a deserved breakout, powered by an exquisite falsetto and a set of songs that sounded less like revivalism than rediscovery. Doctrine Of Love takes that promise and quietly strengthens it. Released via the ever-reliable Daptone, the album is a compact ten-track statement in which excess has been carefully trimmed away. Opener Anyone In Love sets the tone beautifully, feather-light instrumentation framing Ngonda’s voice as it rises through the mix with effortless control. The title track follows with a sharper edge, its brisk backbeat and clipped groove evoking the dancefloor urgency of mid-60s soul without lapsing into imitation. That distinction is crucial. Ngonda clearly knows this music inside out; the references are there for anyone inclined to spot them. Yet the album succeeds because the songs themselves are strong enough to stand independently of their influences. These are not museum pieces. The melodies, structures and emotional instincts feel contemporary even when dressed in vintage textures. Mid-album highlights arrive in quick succession. Mr. Train Conductor carries a simmering tension that never quite boils over, while Burning Temptation rides a scorching rhythm section that would have no trouble filling a Northern soul dancefloor. On Love Is Gone, Ngonda demonstrates remarkable restraint, leaving generous space around the piano and allowing his voice to do the heavy lifting. Elsewhere, I Can't Ever Leave You lands with real emotional force, and Good Good Love luxuriates in early-60s triplet rhythms, pairing a yearning lyric with one of the record’s richest arrangements. Hang It On The Shelf introduces a subtle funk inflection before closer Take Out Of The Picture draws the album to a graceful close. Following an unexpected breakout can be perilous; many artists respond by chasing reinvention. Ngonda instead doubles down on what he does best while refining the details. The result is an album that feels assured rather than cautious, steeped in soul tradition yet buoyed by songwriting strong enough to transcend it. Doctrine Of Love is, quite simply, a record to swoon over.