Before the pandemic, New Orleans singer-songwriter Jon Roniger performed live music almost daily. His frequency and consistency have helped him stand out among the other Frenchmen Street acts. Now he and his band are rebuilding momentum with the release of Let’s Get Lost.

Roniger’s rock-star style makes him seem like a fusion of one part Tom Waits, one part Randy Newman and one part your cool uncle. The songwriting is often simple, but the storytelling ability and charisma Roniger possess make his music enchanting.

He seems to talk a lot about age on this album as well as social media and the digital world. On the track “Chatter” he specifically addresses the issue by singing “We’ve gotten to the point where the idiot’s rule/ The only voice you hear is the loudest fool.” It’s a fair critique, but paired with the album’s themes of hedonism and being a troubadour, it comes across like the ramblings of an elderly rocker.

The Good for Nothin’ Band is the best part, carrying their weight with profound horn arrangements, polished keys and soulful guitar solos. There’s a beach-rock vibe to the album mixed with a uniquely New Orleans brass section. The title track, “Let’s Get Lost,” captures the album’s overall sound and works as a laid-back summer single with a stellar organ solo.

Let’s Get Lost is the result of musicians who clearly love what they do and where they do it. Although some parts of the album stray, the songwriting and lyrics deliver clever and illustrative storytelling. It’s a good summer to go out and explore New Orleans while getting lost in the relaxing Jimmy Buffet-esque songs of Jon Roniger and the Good for Nothin’ Band.