Jim James Sets First Solo Album in Six Years, Shares “Come Again”

Six years have passed since Jim James released a record under his own name. In that stretch, he’s toured behind a My Morning Jacket album, partnered with the Louisville Orchestra, and contributed to film projects — including an upcoming Wes Anderson tribute at the Hollywood Bowl. But the solo silence ends in August.

James returns with Wowed Out, out August 28 on ATO. The title is his shorthand for the kind of constant, media-driven overstimulation that frays attention and dulls response. He produced the album himself, drawing from recordings made over several years with Brian Reitzell, the composer known primarily for scoring Sofia Coppola’s films. According to James, the material sat unfinished until a burst of inspiration last fall brought the pieces into focus.

The lead single “Come Again” is a piano-based rock track with low-end synth movement and a psychedelic lean. It started as a cue James composed for a scene set in a teddy bear factory, then expanded. He describes the song as a response to frustration with the direction of change around him: “You’ve got to just keep going and keep trying again and again and again to find joy.”

The video, directed by W.G. Rickel, is streaming now. The album’s 10-track list runs from “Baby Dear” to “Your Door,” with “Come Again” sitting near the center.