Jonathan Merenivitch is back. Prior to the pandemic, the Atlanta songwriter and multi-instrumentalist was a fixture of the local scene, carving out a unique niche as a jack-of-all-trades backing musician as well as a thoughtful, pull-no-punches frontman. Along the way, he fostered a small mountain of music in an array of projects that touched on a plethora of genres. If his creative approach had a defining quality, it was an insatiable curiosity and willingness to disrupt conventions in the hopes of discovering something distinctive and new.
As a solo artist, he’s used that avid inquisitiveness to explore a wide range of musical styles from diaphanous cell phone recordings to brash Big Star/Three 6 Mafia mash-ups. Originally called Thalmus Rasulala after his favorite blaxploitation actor, Thalmus was first intended as a means for Merenivitch to try his hand at country music. Combining potent originals with countrified covers of everything from David Bowie to Sonic Youth and Thundercat, the project nudged him to get more personal and introspective with his songwriting. Still, considering the success of his long-running art-rock group Shepherds, the alter ego seemed more like a detour than a lasting endeavor.
But then the world shut down. Isolated in quarantine, Merenivitch taught himself to play drums and delved deep into home recording (“I got nice interfaces and mics and all that recording nerd shit,” he writes via email). Over that time, he estimates that he recorded about a half dozen albums in all manner of genres. Some of this was chronicled back in 2021 with the release of “Pharaoh Sings the Blues,” an acerbic meditation on power, wealth, and class that helped anchor Thalmus’ ensuing Midnight Country EP. Despite the track’s contentious themes, the release did not come without its own sense of hope. With the pandemic finally winding to an end, Merenivitch seemed positive about the prospects of completing projects and ushering new music into the world.
Like many us, however, the post-pandemic landscape has proven to be treacherous and chaotic. In addition to suffering the existential turmoil of deaths and romantic break-ups, there have been run-ins with unscrupulous landlords and job layoffs. For a long whole, the resulting emotional distress and instability drained his desire to create and perform. More recently, however, Merenivitch has managed to find some measure of calm and stability, leading him to once again seek refuge in music’s loving arms.
Steeped in gutsy rhythms and foreboding lyrics, “Rainin’ Soul” is a triumphant return that casts Thalmus in a nervy new light. Gone are the twangy country rock overtures and folk-indebted singalongs. In their place is a deft web of quirky and jagged pop grooves that manage to sound both jubilant and obtuse at the same time. While the twitchy guitars and stomping drums spin about in ecstatic circles, Merenivitch implores the listener to “feel the power, feel the power” like some ethereal art-rock version of Prince. Depending on your perspective, the song is either a joyful call to break free from convention and past regrets or a stark warning about what happens when you remain stuck in trauma and resentment (“Now I shall reign in blood,” Merenivitch declares emphatically as the song crashes to an end). Both things can be true at the same time, of course, which is part of what makes “Rainin’ Soul” such an illuminating listen. But, for me, it’s the music’s bold kinetic intensity that really stands out, pushing Thalmus into inkier, more profound waters.
“This work was the most recent thing I recorded and the stuff I’m most excited about because it feels like a platonic version of all the music I love,” Merenivitch says. “It has groove and harmonic complexity. It’s pretty and melancholy. It’s a deep, dark sound.”
Listen below.
Although details are still emerging, Merenivitch confirms that “Rainin’ Soul” is a prelude to a forthcoming album entitled It’s Bright and Heaven is Cool. The record is due out this fall and will continue the single’s left turn embrace of grooves while tackling more spiritual themes.
“It’s a little religious, but not in a dogmatic fashion,” Merenivitch explains. “I’m fascinated by faith and the questions it raises. Musically, it’s very drum machine-focused and heavy. I was thinking a lot about hip-hop and R&B when I was making it, but also thinking of metal in a way. There will be a single cover on the record and a quasi-cover. I love covers, but whatever I put out in the future will be mostly me.”
Thalmus will perform on Sat., Aug. 9 at Star Bar alongside Lowtown, Ramona, and Jayclub Lake. Doors open at 8 pm. Admission is $15 cash at the door. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Bandcamp: thalmus.bandcamp.com
Instagram: @thalmusmusic
SoundCloud: @thalmus-music
Twitter/X: @thalmusmusic