ALBUM REVIEW: Jon Muq Debuts With Soaring, Soulful ‘Flying Away’

A journey like Jon Muq’s is almost cinematic in its grand, sweeping twists and turns. Born and raised in Uganda and settling, somewhat fortuitously, in Austin on the verge of the pandemic, Muq was warmly welcomed by the city’s vibrant music community. Eventually came the Dan Auerbach stamp of approval and plum opening gigs for the likes of Mavis Staples and Norah Jones, all leading to Muq’s debut, Flying Away, on Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound. The velvet-voiced Muq embroiders his songs with all the euphoria and heartbreak that come with searching for a foothold in new, unfamiliar territory.

Auerbach’s signature retro touches like the occasional rattle of tambourine, swirl of Wurlitzer, and hum of Hammond organ are magnificent complements to Muq’s soulful vocal runs, lending a timeless quality to grooves like the sultry lover’s plea “Bend” and sweet ode “Shake Shake.” A cover of Labi Siffre’s sun-dappled gem “Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying” is well-suited to Muq, who adds just enough of a punch to take it from wistful to truly uplifting. Muq’s songwriting is clear-eyed and earnest, a salve for unsteady times in love or amid a world on fire. And Auerbach helps him strike a balance between the more dramatic fare like the impassioned “Dark Door” and the brighter, buoyant stuff like “Lucky Love” with its warm acoustic guitar. Muq has the flexibility to do it all.

It is album opener “Runaway,” though, where Muq really shines. With a touch of swagger, he tells the story of his identity, ever-adapting and nimble, focusing on the positive as a means of survival. An earworm chorus gives the song a lingering quality, and Muq dips into his richest register as he toes the line between melancholy and hopeful. “It’s in my blood / I was born to roam / Where I go there is no returning,” he sings. “I feel like a runaway.”

His message is to keep going, perhaps the greatest tenet of that too-elusive American Dream.

Jon Muq’s Flying Away is out May 31 on Easy Eye Sound.