We would have been content if JMR's new single, "One Time" was written and produced as a solo effort, like his two previous offerings were, but when we heard that this was going to be of the collaborative variety, our ears instantly perked up. As it turns out, the song is the brainchild of JMR, EXROYALE, and Ryne Estwing from the band ON AN ON, and though the final product was released under JMR's moniker, you can definitely hear all the different creative perspectives that went in to crafting this one. The track is very stripped-down by indie-pop standards, but it seems like EXROYALE's slick, flowing production wormed it's way into the mix a bit, and those very distinct bouts of silence that JMR loves to use have been tempered with some nice background textures. This smooths everything out a bit, and although we've been floored by the man's earlier work, it's nice to see he's changing it up a bit so that his sound doesn't stagnate. That being said, this is still 100% on brand when compared to everything else he's put out, and it's got us very excited to see what comes next from the upcoming producer-songwriter.
JMR