Gonzales’ exploratory album “Gonzo” takes us on fascinating journey that spans not only his works to-date, but also delves deeper into his psyche than we’ve ever seen. Part confessional, part cathartic, with a good dose of vaudevillian humour and showmanship, Gonzales seems to approach his compositions with an almost religious fervour. The songs on “Gonzo” weave personal truths and musical adventures, and there’s an authenticity that outshines even the personal and witty “The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales”. “He has a lot to get off his chest”, the press release announces, but like a great book, we find ourselves relating to Gonzales’ therapy, which underscore some of the most fundamental questions of what makes us who we are. From his deep and haunting stare on the cover, to his triumphant and victorious arm in the air on the back, Gonzales’ journey moves us through time on a shared journey of self-discovery, which (of course) is made more entertaining with clever puns, humour, and melancholy along the way. From humble beginnings to the cliffhanging end of his all-too-brief foray into an existential journey of music and rap, “Gonzo” requires a much closer examination, with the knowledge that we’ll also discover something about ourselves along the way.