No, this isn’t a picture of Obi-Wan Kenobi trying to figure out what this alien device can do. Nor is it a hooligan hoodie who has accidentally stuck his fingers to his mate’s guitar with superglue. This is Jon Gomm, the British equivalent of Calum Graham. In an earlier post here I said that Calum Graham’s guitar playing is unmatched – but I was wrong. Jon Gomm is Calum Graham’s equal in every respect. He makes his instrument sound like a trio: bass, drums and guitar. The tones are exquisite; his melodies and harmonies are sublime. He sings, too.

Here’s the first track from Jon’s latest album, The Faintest Idea:

That may be the first and only ode to those ugly, brutish creatures that live in the deep dark ocean. To most of us they are repulsive but, as Jon says,

There must be a daddy hideous sea monster, and a mummy hideous sea monster, and, despite the odds, they must meet, and fall in love, and make little baby hideous sea monsters.

And that puts a completely different perspective on things.

Jon has a series of live events lined up for this year and into 2022 starting on 11th September. Details are on his website. If you are in the UK he will be coming to one of the smaller venues near you and those concerts will be a treat, I’m sure. If you need more convincing, watch this video of my favourite track from The Faintest Idea; it’s called The Ghost Inside You.

I haven’t the faintest idea how he gets the synthesiser-like sounds in that video. Perhaps he cheated. But I don’t care – it’s just gorgeous. And it gives me a chance to finish with my favourite quote:

I believe that anyone who claims to know what’s going on will lie about the little things too.

― Neil Gaiman, American Gods