It took nearly three years, but we’ve finally gotten the Chromatics’ low-end post-punk throbber “The Page” out of our heads. Now Johnny Jewel’s 1-A project is back with another track off the upcoming Dear Tommy LP, the follow-up to 2012’s mesmerizing Kill For Love. And he’s got a familiar voice simmering over the synths.
“I Can Never Be Myself When You’re Around,” which you can hear below via Soundcloud, features vocals by Megan Louise of Jewel project Desire, who most know for their song “Under Your Spell” from the 2011 film Drive.
Jewel was a musical contributor to the beloved Ryan Gosling vehicle, and one of the main reasons the new wave-tinged soundtrack struck the nerve it did. As a member of Glass Candy, Chromatics, and Desire, as well as the founder of the Italians Do It Better label, Jewel is crafting the premiere sound for modern electro-pop, and the pinwheel shimmer of “I Can Never Be Myself When You’re Around” only furthers his impact.
Dear Tommy is set for release soon off Italians Do It Better, though no date has been set. Last week, Chromatics teased the first track off the new LP, “Just Like You”, and it has a familiarly dark, spacious tone.