Over the last ten years, The Lone Bellow has cast an indelible spell with their finespun songs of hard truth and redemptive beauty, faithfully delivered in hypnotic three-part harmony. In a departure from their past work with elite producers like Aaron Dessner of The National and eight-time Grammy-winner Dave Cobb, the Nashville-based trio struck out on their own for their album “Love Songs For Losers”, dreaming up a singular sound encompassing everything from arena-ready rock anthems to the gorgeously sprawling Americana tunes the band refers to as little redneck symphonies.
Though no stranger to delicate Americana heart-tugging music, on “Love Songs For Losers”, The Lone Bellow’s fifth LP and second in two years, the band once again traces scars of loneliness and hurt, but also offers some reflection on love and joy throughout making for one of their most eclectic albums yet, both musically and thematically.
The synth-heavy “Honey” – one of the album’s early singles, has all the hallmarks of The Lone Bellow, haunting but sweet vocals, delicate harmonies, and deeply informed lyrics.
But on the very next song, “Gold,” the band tackles opioid addiction and dying communities in first person – again relying heavily on synths, but for an entirely different vibe. Elsewhere, “I’m In Love,” is anchored by electric guitars and a triumphant chorus, while “Dreaming” is a soft, languid piano ballad, but both songs are equally impressive. “Caught Me Thinking,” an R&B-inspired track complete with horns, is one of the band’s most ambitious songs yet and is pulled off flawlessly.
While Zac Williams takes lead vocals on most tracks here, Kanene Donehey Pipkin, takes the mic on the dreamy “Cost Of Living”. Williams takes back lead vocals on “Unicorn,” a very public love letter to his wife who managed to recover from paralysis; “I was kind of thinking I could tell you my feelings, sit you down and wreck you with some words that are pretty, I could say ‘I love you’ but it’s such a bore, I think God made a unicorn”.
The Nashville based trio The Lone Bellow have shared another preview track from their upcoming album release, “Love Songs For Losers“. “Unicorn” is a beautiful new song that lead singer Zac Williams calls, “a stumbling, but honest love letter to my wife Stacy after her miraculous recovery from paralysis.”
“‘I was kind of thinking I could tell you my feelings / sit you down and wreck you with some words that are pretty / I could say I love you but it’s such a bore / I think God made a unicorn.’”
Throughout their lifespan as a band, The Lone Bellow have cast an indelible spell with their finespun songs of hard truth and unexpected beauty, frequently delivered in hypnotic three-part harmony. With “Love Songs for Losers”, they dreamt up a singular sound encompassing everything from arena-ready rock anthems to gorgeously sprawling Americana tunes. The result is an intimate meditation on the pain and joy and ineffable wonder of being human, at turns heartbreaking, irreverent, and sublimely transcendent.
After sketching the album’s 11 songs in a nearby church, the band holed up for eight weeks at Roy Orbison’s house on Old Hickory Lake along with long time bassist Jason Pipkin and drummer Julian Dorio. “Love Songs for Losers” also finds singer/multi-instrumentalist Kanene Donehey Pipkin taking the reins as vocal producer, expertly harnessing the rarefied vocal magic they’ve continually brought to stages around the world. The triumph of completing their first self-produced album marks the start of a thrilling new chapter in the band’s journey, newly emboldened to create without limits.
Though “Love Songs For Losers” has many of the familiar markings of the band, the album finds the trio at their most experimental, diverse in subjects and sound – all while still sounding very much like a Lone Bellow album.
“Love Songs For Losers!” is set to be released November 4th via Dualtone.
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