Aramis Johnson, frontman for the great Tacoma indie rockers Enumclaw, has come a very long way as a songwriter since he and the band broke through back in 2021 with their Jimbo Demo without so much experience in even knowing how to play their own instruments. Now with three albums under their belt — most recently, last year’s solidly slackered Home In Another Life — it’s all the more of a fete to hear him challenging himself beyond the band box with his recent quietly released solo effort simply entitled 9.

The album’s Bandcamp pages tags in “Alex G” and “folk” among a few of the descriptors for the listen, and that’s partially true — songs like “Spike Jonze in “98” and “Farewell to the Flesh” have a homespun bedroom pop feel with acoustically-bent edges to them indebted to the guitar oddities within the Alexander Giannascoli songbook. Yet, it’s the personal revelations about parenthood and relationships within Johnson’s lyrics like his submission to the sad, sleigh-belled Christmas song collection on opener “August 20 Something”, its closing bookend “Carpentry Office”, or the amazingly titled “We Got In A Fight In The Target Parking Lot” that let you know this project is likely one that hits a bit closer to his heart than the fuzzy noise-pop vibes of Enumclaw’s rock. Dab in some Midwestern emo jazz on “Saline”, and it’s got that quiet, cozy long, lonely December listen written all over it…

Aramis’ 9 is available now.