Jonas Martin’s a busy guy.
With Goodnight Ned, he’s a part of one of Dallas’ most acclaimed rock groups. His solo debut from early this year, Chokecherry Jam, established him as a powerful songwriter in his own right. And without stopping to catch much of a breath, Martin’s already at work on his sophomore album, The Color Scheme, due in spring 2016.
Chokeberry Jam was overflowing with ideas, so maybe it’s no surprise that Martin is looking to be prolific. When you can write that many compelling songs, there’s no point keeping them from the world. He pulls together a mix of well-worn rock and roll influences, but Martin brings an incisive lyrical approach and a number of musical flourishes — like the keys and electronic gurgles on the new “Let Them Drown” — that make the sound all his own. His balance of deeply personal and broadly funny material, sarcasm and sincerity, social commentary and heart-on-the-sleeve emotional storytelling, calls to mind the dead-serious goofball poetics of somebody like Father John Misty, who feels like a contemporary touchstone.
“Let Them Drown” is a fantastic number that continues in that vein, but may be a little darker and even more moving than some of Martin’s past work — The upcoming album is dedicated to his late father.
Watch the music video for the new song below. For more info or to kick into the new album, go here.
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