Album Review: Lonnie Holley - 'Tonky'
A history lesson for the ages, Lonnie Holley’s new album ‘Tonky’ cements itself as one of the most important releases this year.
Since 1979, Lonnie Holley has dedicated his life to art and creativity. Whether it be performance, music, sculpture, painting or drawing, everything he puts his mind to is rooted in the pursuit of finding light from darkness. His artistry emerges from a life of struggle and hardship, embodying the near carnal need and furious curiosity for making something new. Amidst the chaos he found music, first releasing improvised vocal recordings with just a microphone and keyboard out of his local church hall in Alabama. Seven albums later and at the age of 75, he presents the Tonky, an epic record telling stories of love, political fury, community and strength; it couldn’t have come at a more needed time.
The album sows its beginnings with ‘Seeds’; a lifetime of candid memories, contemporary insight and political musings turned into nine minutes of art. An introduction into the motivations behind his artistry, Holley chronicles the formative years of his life spent in the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children in Mount Meigs. He does not hold back in his reflections and as much as the vivid detail is difficult and troubling to listen to, it is an invaluable insight into the way in which Holley can turn unimaginable pain and suffering into something that champions love and forgiveness. His words are accompanied by a steady heartbeat pulse which is joined by twinkly synths, choral vocals and orchestral strings as it builds in intensity. Just as you expect the music to reach a point of crescendo though, it fades back into the feeling of being entirely alone in a world full of energy and people. Such is the struggle and inner conflict central to Holley’s craftsmanship - a balancing act between the fiery passion for change and the necessary understanding that such change requires restraint.
‘Oh I wish I could rob my memory… I’d be like Midas and turn my thoughts to gold… And one day just end up being alright.’
It would be reductive to call this track a piece of poetry-the gravitas it brings and sense of foreboding importance it establishes makes it feel bigger. It is the moment before a battle, where everyone is fuelled by the words that remind them what they are fighting for. It is a link to history while also being a warning and plea to what must change in the future. It’s nothing short of extraordinary.
‘Protest With Love’, the third track which was released as a single earlier this year, is particularly poignant in no small part because of its timeliness and feeling of being essential at this very moment. It can be no coincidence that the track came out on the same day that the second Trump Administration got underway and the album is released during a period of uncertainty and political unrest around the world. The attitude of approaching things with love is a key part of the album and is what fuels a great deal of Holley’s storytelling. The love Holley advocates for is not straightforward nor is it unconditional; the love he puts out into the world brings with it an understanding that love is what often gets us hurt. For him, to love is to care and to care is to fight back. Love, rather than hatred or the frustration he feels towards those who have jaded him and caused him a life filled with struggle, is his weapon. It is his way of pushing back against the negativity, hate and violence around him.
Of the 14 tracks on the album, more than half have featured artist credits and every single one is a product of collaboration. Guest performances by Isacc Brock, Angel Bat Dawid, Billy Woods, Alabaster de Plume, Mary Lattimore and many more instill a sense of community that is palpable throughout. Holley is keen to make it known that it is through the combined talents and efforts through which change (and incredible music) are made. A favourite of mine has to be ‘Those Stars are Still Shining’, a short interlude in which Lonnie is joined by Saul Williams. A blend of alternative hip hop, spoken word poetry and haunting instrumentation, it is a pause before the final song on the record. Its lyrics hark back to the beginning of the album and in turn remind us why we are here. A bookending of sorts, but leaving space for an encore.
‘What’s Going On’ and ‘A Change is Gonna Come’ are homages to music of years gone by and in their inclusion on the album, Holley continues their histories. Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke both had been big influences to Holley and his songwriting and he has taken their abilities to create music that spoke of struggle but also instilled a sense of hope for their listeners. These are not covers but rather a recontextualisation of their initial sentiments and meanings into the musical landscape of today. Each retains the words taken from their titles but Holley has reworked instrumentation and lyrics to give them different meanings and thus a new lease of life.
At a time when it couldn’t be needed more, Lonnie Holley holds a mirror up to the world and calls for things to be different. He makes it clear that he doesn’t have all the answers: he cannot tell us what change looks like nor when it is going to come. What he does know for certain is that there is too much suffering. He has experienced a life of it and bears witness to how he sees it continue to hurt so many others. He advises though that it is through suffering that we can realise the need for change and in doing so, ‘make love your weapon’. When faced with adversity and struggle, he brings everyone together through their embattled pasts and ferocious drive for something else and points us forward.
Words by Kirsty Thomson
