Reflections of Uncertainty: Johneh Reimagines “Do I Wanna Know?”

By Emmanuel Daraloye

This cover of Arctic Monkeys’ “Do I Wanna Know?” by Johneh in September, 2022 is another expression of creativity. It shows a thoughtful continuation of more than a decade and three sounds. The guitarist, Johneh, plays a lead guitar and rests on a controlled distortion effect with a style of metal or rock music. The energetic play and thickness of the sound leaves the piece as a reflective one.

John Osagie Idogun, popularly known as Johneh, is a Nigerian lead guitarist, session guitarist, songwriter, poet, and music curator who finds expression in sounds. With an experience that spans major aspects of sound creation, production, and music writing, Johneh plies the path of awareness and establishment in the Nigerian music space.

His cover of the song is a show of the song’s musical ingenuity. The tone of the guitar is fuzzy and gives off an electric tone. The sustain and effects, which are, at some points, mild but certain and bold due to how the sound of the guitar is amplified. Johneh strikes his chords with an assurance written on his face, but at some points it gets clouded.

While the original song has some instruments added to it and it serves as the intro of the original, Johneh’s cover of the song adds some styles and musical structure, which makes it slightly different from the original. It has no added percussion, but this sound alone is reflective and again euphoric. It is natural and bolder than the original sound.

His technical abilities of playing different riffs and bends leave the sound more groovy and energetic. Johneh’s calmness and attention to every strike of the guitar’s string are evident in the production outcome of the sound. His fingers on the guitar are calculated, and his timing sparks his consciousness. Johneh’s palm muting, which is common among guitarists, is sharp and has a “cut-like” vibe on the listener. His control is stealthy but rings of mild excessiveness.

The sound is dark and mildly melancholic. The silence at “tiny intervals,” which are officially called pauses, is filled with meanings in the minds of the listeners. A listener who is also learning guitar could bind with the timing and skillfulness at play. However, Johneh employs some behavioral patterns that convey conflict and the essence of the sound. However, these pauses should have been given some time, and his tempo should have been slower, which gives a total change to this cover.

Uncertainty is the theme of the song, and in Johneh’s cover of it, with only his guitar, the flow of the theme continues. This is shown in his unsure calculation of his sound at some points. This is maintained throughout the composition. His no-use of vocals adds depth to the piece as it’s not diluted. The shortness of the composition keeps the listeners glued and their emotions heightened at some points. However, Johneh should have ended the composition in a more solemn way.

Johneh’s guitar cover of “Do I Wanna Know?” pleads for clarity in the face of uncertainty. It opens up his vulnerability and shows the need for answers to unanswered questions. Johneh’s body language speaks of what he plays. With his energy and use of body language, Johneh gives his listeners a part of himself.