Jonah Leatherman’s Ensuring My Uncertainty is a one of a kind release. The Midwestern-based singer/songwriter’s ten songs cut against the grain of modern music by providing an intimate poetic musical experience shorn of any pretentiousness. It’s his second full-length album following the release of his self-titled debut in January 2020 and builds on the resplendent promise of that collection without retracing its steps. Literary influences such as Virginia Woolf and short story master George Saunders merge with musical influences such as Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, and other top-notch lyricists and filter through his sensibility. He produces a memorable synthesis.
“Overlap” opens the album with a slightly dissonant alt-rock guitar jangle before a brisk and brightly-hued first verse kicks in. His structuring of the song announces itself with a single listen; the opener segues neatly from verse into a rousing pre-chorus and into the refrain with effortless skill. Some listeners may balk at the light tenor of Leatherman’s voice; it may take some getting used to. It is, however, ideal singing for the content and you find yourself acclimating fast.
The central reverb-laced guitar motif recurring throughout “Whatever Happened” punctuates this slice of singer/songwriter alt-rock. Leatherman continues mining an up-tempo pace, but there’s much more assertive drumming than before this time out. He incorporates a variety of well-timed shifts into the arrangement that helps diversify his songwriting architecture. “My Punishment” is one of Ensuring My Uncertainty’s most distinctive tracks. It’s quite spartan for much of the song until Leatherman expands its sonic scope in the cut’s second half. The lyrics are among the album’s finest, and his vocal sensitivity breathes additional life into the words.
“It’s Only Me & You” is another bright alt-rocker in a similar vein as the album opener. It has a surprising anthemic tilt lacking in the first song, however, though Leatherman never leans on those attributes. The dramatic qualities of the arrangement stand out though. “Anything About It” generates palpable energy. It manifests a more dream-like ambiance than its predecessors without ever threatening to waft away from the listener. Leatherman opts for applying a smattering of post-production effects to his voice, but it avoids tacky affectation.
The alt-rock dirge “Beyond the Lines” revisits the spartan layout of the earlier “My Punishment”, albeit in a different fashion. Leatherman continues exploring his wont for building the song’s musical character around guitar and the near-drone six-string strum present throughout this track supplies a steady counterpoint for his vocals. The pristine acoustic texture of “Victory Lap” is essentially a solo performance and concludes the album on a hushed and pensive note. It likewise garners attention for another of Leatherman’s best vocals on this release.
Jonah Leatherman’s Ensuring My Uncertainty doesn’t linger long in any particular mode thanks to approaching his songwriting art from a variety of angles. None of the album’s ten songs fall flat. Leatherman benefits from a robust creativity that seems to renew itself with each new offering and the collection hangs together as an overall coherent artistic statement.
Garth Thomas