Phoebe Bridgers’ stunning 2017 debut album “Stranger in the Alps” landed with a bit of an unexpected, but delightful, bang. This week, she releases her first new solo material in two and a half years. “Garden Song” is out on Dead Oceans and is accompanied by a video directed by Bridgers’ brother Jackson Bridgers.
“Garden Song” picks up where “Stranger in the Alps” left off to be honest – all gentle instrumentation and soft vocals which belies the sharp confessional style of the lyrics and the brooding themes they explore. “Garden Song” was recorded at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California and was produced by Bridgers and her “Stranger in the Alps” producers/collaborators Tony Berg and Ethan Gruska.
The video that has been released to accompany the single is kind of a visual metaphor for Bridgers’ songs – a certain dissonance between style and content, things feeling out of place.
In the video for “Garden Song”, Bridgers takes a puff from a bong and then all sorts of weirdness ensues in a smoke-filled dorm room. This weirdness was all unexpected for Bridgers who advised her brother (the director) to ‘surprise her’. The video shows her being joined by various furry monsters and – at one point – the comedian/author Tig Notaro in a monk’s costume. He looks more like ‘Death’ sat on the edge of Bridgers’ bed.
Although this is her first new solo material for a while, Bridgers’ has been busy. She teamed up with Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker (aka ‘boygenius’) and released a fantastic six song EP. She has also toured with Conor Oberst as one half of the “supergroup” of sorts – ‘Better Oblivion Community Center’ – releasing an acclaimed eponymous album in early 2019.
Bridgers will spend Spring 2020 touring Japan, Australia and New Zealand with The National and North America with The 1975. She has also been invited to perform alongside The 1975 at their Finsbury Park show in London on 11th July 2020 and has been announced for Latitude Festival in the UK this July. Full tour details are on Phoebe Bridgers’ website.
