Jonah Matranga – There’s A Lot In Here

The name of Jonah Matranga is a very recognizable name in the underground music scene. Not only has he made guest appearances on some high priority projects like Thursday and Fort Minor, but he was also the mastermind behind such projects as Far, new End Original, Onelinedrawing and most recently, Gratitude, but still Matranga is, and always will be the solo artist, and that’s what There’s A Lot In Here shows us; while it dives heavily into his past releases, it also shows that this rock stars, who still plays shows in people’s living room, has a vibrant future in front of him.

And when you think about it, it’s kind of odd that he has an extremely vibrant future in front of him because frankly, Matranga isn’t the best guitarist ever and definitely doesn’t have the strongest voice around – and those are normally two important factors to a solo artist. But it’s when you see him live, in a small living room in front of some random strangers, or up on stage in front of a sold out crowd at the Chain Reaction in Anaheim, or sitting in the parking lot, playing acoustically, answering questions and giving group hugs, you see how and why he will have a long future; and the how and and why is the sincerity behind his unsuspecting smirk.

You can’t fake the emotion he displays as he belts out songs like Livin’ Small, Yr Letter and Smile through a tiny amp in a jammed packed living room, and while he sounds a bit better plugged in with a supporting band at the Chain Reaction, having the chance to see and hear both sides of the performer broadens your perspective on the man. On top of the the two live performances, which you get on both CD and DVD, There’s A Lot In Here also has ten homemade music videos (with the help of Darren Doane) for the entire The Volunteers album.

Oddly, I haven’t really talked about the release itself that much, so I guess I should jump right into it here: is it worth it? If you’re a fan of Matranga and any of his older projects, then you will love to see and hear this, where as casual fans won’t truly appreciate the art within this little package. And while I did enjoy watching the DVD and hearing the album, I can’t see myself playing it that much in the future, because for me, a casual fan, it’s not capturing enough.