It's actually rare - for me at least - when I find a songwriter who seems to really get inside my head. For years, songwriters like Jon Foreman and Stephen Christian (to name a couple) have often tapped into spiritual and social themes that I can relate to, but as I've gotten older, I've found it harder to really relate to many lyricists. And maybe part of the problem is, if there are other songwriters that are putting my inner thoughts to music, they're not marrying it with music I want to listen to. For Amy Jay, however, she continues to be the kind of songwriter and vocalist that appears to be speaking my language.

Ever since her 2022 full-length debut, Awake Sleeper, was put on my radar, I've been following Amy's music. For the past three years since that album, she's stuck to the single-release strategy, putting out an entire new album's worth of music individually as singles. Personally, I prefer the full album experience, but the way she released her singles gradually gave listeners little morsels of new music on a fairly regular basis. She's taken the single approach in preparation for her sophomore record, but it all leads up to it. And now, three years since Awake Sleeper, we have Mnemonics.

If you liked her debut, or the singles that have followed, you're bound to enjoy Mnemonics. It's the next chapter in the humble life of a thoughtful indie folk artist living in New York City. You can get an idea for what lyrics you're in for right off the bat with the forthrightly titled opener, "How the Mind Can Be a Trap." Jay wrote this batch of songs as individual reminders of things she's learned day-to-day -- little musical mnemonics to herself. Songs like "The Little Things" and "Floral Comfort" are reminders to cherish life's mini blessings, while songs like "Compassion" and "The Critic" are encouragement to be kinder to herself.

It's not hard to relate to these musings - especially if you're also an introvert. The album's first single, "Can't Go Back," is a heartbreaking song born out of losing a friendship. The slight sound of tape rewinding and a steady, almost heartbeat-like drumbeat set the tone for her haunting vocals to slide in. It captures the feeling well of what it's like to lose something - or someone - you hold dear, as just part of life and growing older. Then "Excuse Me" is a painfully short, quirky track that feels like it could have appeared in a scene from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, with its distorted vocals, dissonant sounds and abrupt ending. The gears shift sharply again with the lovely "Floral Comfort" where Amy takes a sweet approach vocally as she contemplates pain and trying to self-medicate with something as simple as buying herself some mums. (Many of us can relate to those "Treat Yo' Self" kind of days.)

While her faith is an important part of her personal life, you won't find much depth spiritually in Mnemonics, but that certainly isn't a dealbreaker. The album is a pretty relatable look at what it's like to get stuck in your own head and trying to find solace there. Clearly, Jay wants to keep things a bit more relatable for a mainstream audience, but you can still sense the underlying spiritual heart of the songwriter. The themes and musings are deeply personal here, and, honestly, I'd love to hear more of her viewpoint on life conveyed in song through more of a spiritual lens sometime.

Musically, Mnemonics sticks faithfully to the less-is-more folk approach that Amy uses, but she does kick up the tempo and even flirts with a rock edge on a couple tracks. The aforementioned "Excuse Me" has a fuzzy distortion to it, while "Margins" may be her most upbeat song yet, with "The Little Things" coming in a close second. The album is a bit of a tonal rollercoaster, as it goes from upbeat and lively to more somber a few times, but it all still works together pretty well.

Mnemonics is a beautiful, thoughtful journey from start to finish and just further confirmation that Amy Jay has become one of my favorite music-makers around today as she keeps producing songs that are little gifts that keep on giving. If there's one gripe I have with the album it's that it feels just a hair too short, but I suppose an album that leaves you wanting more is better than one that overstays its welcome. Amy Jay is an artist to watch, and I know I will certainly keep watching.

- Review date: 11/4/25, written by John DiBiase of Jesusfreakhideout.com

 

Record Label: Mother West
Album length: 10 tracks: 35 minutes, 57 seconds
Street Date: November 7, 2025
Buy It: Amazon.com (CD)
Buy It: Amazon.com (Vinyl)
Buy It: Amazon Music (MP3)

1. How the Mind Can Be a Trap (3:12)
2. Margins (4:51)
3. The Critic (4:31)
4. Back To What's Natural (2:57)
5. Can't Go Back (3:03)
6. Excuse Me (1:08)
7. Floral Comfort (3:30)
8. The Little Things (4:07)
9. Move On (5:24)
10. Compassion (3:18)