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May 15, 2024 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Athos Burez

J. Bernardt is the solo moniker of singer/songwriter Jinte Deprez. Deprez first cut his teeth as one half of the singer/songwriter duo behind Belgian alt rock band Balthazar before later releasing his 2017 debut solo LP, Running Days. Fans last heard from Deprez with Balthazar’s 2021 release Sand, but later this week he’s back with another new solo record, Contigo, out May 17th via Play It Again Sam.

Contigo sees Deprez drift away from the electronics coloring Running Days and leaning into a full-band sound, complete with dramatic orchestral elements and driving grooves. Thematically, the record is an exploration of the phases of a breakup. “I know a break-up record is a cliché,” says Deprez. “But I’m growing to love cliches! I wasn’t afraid to go all the way. Forgetting about the break-up by singing about it is like self-sabotage, but I’m having fun with it too”.

Deprez has already shared a series of singles from the record, returning most recently with “Last Waltz,” and today he is back with an early listen to one of the album’s highlights, “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Don’t Get Me Wrong” is a track that feels both simmering and danceable, beginning shadowed in a languid bassline and crooned vocal melodies. Much of the song’s energy comes out in the insistent percussion and rushes of symphonic horns and strings. Handclaps and tambourine drive the song’s verses forward, building until all the amassed tension explodes outward with a groovy chorus and horn-drenched instrumental break. The results feel cinematic in the same vein as a vintage Bond film, drenched in style, bite, and effortless charm.

Deprez says of the track, “’Don’t Get Me Wrong’ takes a walk through communication skills that are not on point, even fed by a sabotaging desire of two people that choose projection rather than self-reflection. it’s an old habit of most of us to fuel the fire, until it burns the house down.”

Check out the song below. Contigo is out on May 17th via Play It Again Sam.