Going simply by, Jonny, Jonny Gundersen’s music is as casual, lo-fi, and idiosyncratic as the name suggests. His debut EP, Brought to You by Jonny is out now via Brooklyn based 6XU.
The title, Brought to You by Jonny, is appropriately unassuming. Jonny’s music is subtle but surprisingly complex. Think bedroom pop with elements of Dirty Projectors and Animal Collective. Weird, for sure. But also catchy enough that you find yourself humming sections after a listen or two.
The EP opens with a strange crash-like sound before dropping into the bass and drum groove of “Scrubbin’ Tough”. Right from the top Jonny’s tendency to use unexpected sounds is on display. It’s both rhythmic and dreamy. Jonny layers together drum samples with moments of droning ambiance and acoustic guitar.
In four tracks Jonny manages to capture a variety of moods, from the eerie beat-forward “Scrubbin’ Tough”, to the melancholy of “Sertraline and Me”. He’s unafraid of pivoting suddenly between feels, like in “New Beat #1”, when the drums drop out for a verse and leave you in a nostalgic swirl of vocals and synth.
Like the rest of the EP, the vocal production has a DIY feel that works in its favor. Listening to quirky loops and odd drum sounds, you don’t expect the lyrics to turn your head. But if you pay attention, you’ll catch lines like, “your big brother choked,” or “dad had good intentions turn bad.” There’s a darkness to the lyrical content that the playfulness of the music almost masks. Almost.
New York fans can catch him live at Knitting Factory (Brooklyn) on 5/4
