There is no shortage of dreamy, pop-leaning bands in Atlanta. But there is something about the way JMY’s new single “Do You Really Want It?” constantly shifts and evolves that draws me in deeper than most. The solo project of multi-instrumentalist and former Lunar Vacation member John Michael Young, JMY bills itself as a hybrid of Tycho’s lo-fi analog excursions and Tame Impala’s cosmic psych-pop. It’s as good as a description as any, although I feel Young displays the potential to be more than the sum of a few tastefully selected touchstones.

Given what you’ve read above, I’m sure you can draw a few conclusions about the track. Shimmering guitars. Luminous textures. Vocals echoing through a gauzy mist. But knowing that doesn’t exactly prepare you for how fantastically vivid the song is. According to Young, he was listening to a bit of Radiohead while writing and became intrigued by the idea of composing something “with a lot of guitar layers.” So what starts a pair of twinkling guitars soon expands into a kaleidoscope of soaring melodies and surging rhythms.

With so many dazzling hooks and details to sort through, Young’s voice isn’t required to do much heavy lifting. But neither does it fade listlessly into the background. The delivery is confident and composed, more ethereal than laconic. It’s worth noting that Young writes and records all the instruments in JMY; perhaps that’s why despite its winding detours and varying progressions, “Do You Really Want It?” appears as a well-unified, gorgeously rendered whole.

As an introduction, I’m not sure what more we could ask from JMY. It’s dense, propulsive, and riveting; more importantly, it makes me long for what’s next. Although no official release date has been set, Young says his debut EP, mixed and mastered by Damon Moon of Standard Electric Recorders Co., should release sometime in early 2020. In the meantime, there’s plenty to dive into here, so what are you waiting for?

JMY will perform on Sat., Nov. 2 at the Drunken Unicorn alongside Jellowstone, Camp Howard, and Yolk. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $10 in advance or $12 DOS. 18+ to enter.

More Info
Web: jmyband.com
Bandcamp: jmyatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @jmyatl
Instagram: @jmygram
Twitter: @jmyband