Recorded over several years and in many different spaces, RONI is very clearly a labour of love from Toronto band RONI. The playful songwriting — a collaborative process between Jordan Mazza (guitar, vocals) and Geraden Smith (guitar) — compliments interesting and sometimes surprising chord progressions. It's not surprising that RONI's members are all graduates of jazz school. Jake Rowinski (bass) explained the influence of their jazz backgrounds in a way I think we can all understand:
"What I love most of this album is that like it is definitely a pop album... it's like whispers of all the things that we love, but it's put it on an accessible plate. Like it's just a pizza with like a bunch of random shit on it... And hyper pop would be the anchovies which I like but not everybody does."
The jazz influence is subtle and probably only apparent to a minority of listeners, but adds a pleasant sheen of complexity without veering towards pretension. Beneath these small ornamentations, the no-nonsense skill and joy of the personnel on this project shines through. Alongside Jordan, Geraden, and Jake, Ryan McNeill (percussion) gives an incredible performance.
From left to right: Jake Rowinski, Geraden Smith, Ryan McNeill, and Jordan Mazza.
For Geraden, being able to finally release Piece was a vital step in moving the creative process forward:
"We put a lot into those songs... a lot of those lyrics are the most meaningful lyrics to me — and probably the most meaningful songwriting just personally — of everything I've ever done. So yes, it was crucial for it to get out... I needed it to be just on the table."
One of my favourite songs on the record, I Wouldn't Necessarily Say I Feel Great, has a dynamic and joyful quality that complements the vulnerable lyrical message. It also appears in SLUDGE's Our Favourites of 2024 playlist.
You can purchase RONI on bandcamp, or stream it on Apple Music or Spotify.