Bartees Strange unveiled a new single, “Lie 95,” this summer. At the time, a press release noted the song “heralds a new era,” and now we know more about that: Today (October 1), Bartees announced Horror, a new album.
He also unveiled the Americana-leaning new single “Sober,” but don’t necessarily expect that to reflect the aesthetic of the whole album: A press release calls the project Bartees’ “most ambitious, wide-ranging project to date.”
Bartees says of the song:
“This song is about falling short in a relationship, over and over and drinking because of it. I think this is something a lot of people can probably relate to. Being in love, but not being the best at showing it or feeling successful within it. And being afraid that this is something you’ll always deal with because you never really saw a better example of how love works.”
He also says of the album:
“In a way I think I made this record to reach out to people who may feel afraid of things in their lives too. For me it’s love, locations, cosmic bad luck, or that feeling of doom that I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember. I think that it’s easier to navigate the horrors and strangeness of life once you realize that everyone around you feels the same. This album is just me trying to connect. I’m trying to shrink the size of the world. I’m trying to feel close — so I’m less afraid.”
Watch the “Sober” video above and find the Horror cover art and tracklist below, along with Bartees Strange’s upcoming tour dates.