"Plastic Envelope" / "Protect Him Always" Released: May 11, 2023
"Obvious" Released: June 8, 2023
"Better" Released: July 12, 2023
"Isolette" Released: August 16, 2023
"The Flowers" Released: September 20, 2023
"Dying" Released: October 13, 2023
"The Impossible" Released: April 1, 2024
Jonny is the sixth studio album by American indie rock project The Drums. It was released on October 13, 2023, through Anti-.
Background and singles
Ahead of its announcement, the band's current sole member Jonathan Pierce released four singles off the album: "I Want It All" on April 3, "Plastic Envelope" and "Protect Him Always" on May 11, and "Obvious" on June 8, 2023.[4] On July 12, Pierce announced the album and shared the fifth single "Better".[5] A tour through North America spanning six weeks also started that day.[6] The album cover was widely noted for displaying a black-and-white photo of Pierce kneeling naked over a chair, seemingly praying.[7]
On Jonny, Pierce mainly processes his "cult-like" upbringing and its impacts on his present self.[4] In preparation for the record, the musician returned to his childhood home while his parents were away and took pictures of himself in rooms that held strong memories.[8] Looking back at it, he clarified that it helped him make peace with the past, thus making it a "sacred place" for him to worship. He recalled that his first listen to the record had reflected his soul back at him.[9] According to Pierce, the intention of the album is "to honor each and every part of you" with each song being a "hymn to the human heart".[10]
On March 18, 2024, a deluxe edition of the album was announced,[11] which would include five new tracks exclusively recorded for said edition. It was released on April 5, after preceding single "The Impossible" which had been released on April 1.[12]
Jonny was met with "generally favorable" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 75, based on 8 reviews.[14]
At Under the Radar, writer Andy Steiner gave the release an eight out of ten, calling it "the best album The Drums have made."[19] Daniel Sylvester of Exclaim wrote: "Pierce's sixth album as the Drums is absolutely haunted by sorrow and reclamation. Whether the listener is familiar with the record's back story or not, Jonny nonetheless leaves a lasting impact."[16]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Jonathan Pierce, except where noted.
