Written by Ava Moon. Illustration courtesy of AJ Johnson.
Bleachers, the indie-rock band fronted by one of the music industry’s most sought-after producers, Jack Antonoff, has had a reinvention of sorts, with their latest self-titled record. Having debuted just over decade ago, their signature sound has been characterized by smooth saxophone solos and Springsteen-esque coastal melodies. Yet Bleachers seem to slowly stray away from their established norm. Antonoff himself stated that the album is “like planting a flag in the middle of the journey,” which is evident. Although hints of their previous appendage remain, their self-titled fourth studio album does more than just reiterate their last three. It serves as a marker for the band not in the future, nor in the past – but particularly in the present.
Coming off their departure from RCA Records, and signing with Dirty Hit, the album’s predecessor is a live album recorded from a show at Radio City Music Hall. Very early on it’s clear that Bleachers is a stark departure from Live at Radio City Music Hall’s pandemic-era reflections. It is riddled with slower, more methodical tracks that place less emphasis on the fast-paced drums and upbeat choruses that define their first two albums, Strange Desire and Gone Now. Antonoff’s ability to feature more measured songs isn’t unknown, as Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night provided somewhat of an experimental take. Relying on a more acoustic execution in songs like Hey Joe, Woke Up Today and Isimo, he differentiates them from most of his previous works that signifies where the band is now. The gentle nature of the tracks shows a more grounded and secure side of Bleachers fans haven’t seen until now.
For most of the band’s existence, Antonoff has worked through feelings of grief, loss, past lives, future doubts, and experience of growing up in Bergenfield, New Jersey, through music. Lyrically, Bleachers refreshes fans with a journey that reflects the new and exciting phase Antonoff and the band have found themselves in. Ordinary Heaven supplies, “You dance around the apartment/And I just get, I just get, I just get/I just get to be there”. Antonoff still manages to maintain the connective tissue that longtime fans can appreciate. We’re Gonna Know Each Other Forever supplements this with, “The tired on the wire/The born, strange, desired” which is a play on moments in Everybody Lost Somebody and Strange Desire. Fans are also treated to an uncredited feature of frequent collaborator and close friend of Antonoff’s, Lana Del Rey, on track five: Alma Mater. Together, they deliver a stroke of combined genius, capturing Del Rey’s songwriting prowess with an intro that’s reminiscent of the band’s sophomore album, and works well with Antonoff’s more relaxed vocals throughout.
Modern Girl, released almost seven months before the album debuted, was an instant hit, solidifying itself as a classic in the band’s discography. It toys with playful lyrics that are a far cry from the more serious words of their quintessential songs of the past. The saxophone, Springsteen-inspired sound comes throughout the song’s entirety, perfectly encapsulating the unchanging parts of the band. Jesus is Dead and Tiny Moves each do the same in their own unique likeness, both capturing Bleachers’ own take on pop-adjacent songs, while Call Me After Midnight creates a light and fun coastal anthem much like Modern Girl.
Bleachers finds its medium between the new and familiar in its title-track, I Am Right On Time, Me Before You and Self Respect. Each is an optimistic take on the album’s throughline of being present. Self Respect and Me Before You shine as the love songs that perhaps mirror Antonoff’s newfound marital status. Both feel like monologues Antonoff recites to his lover, retaining just the right amount of simplicity that’s digestible but keeping the poetic quality Antonoff is known for. I Am Right On Time shows his stance on finally being “on time” in the present, in a confident yet controlled melody. It’s a perfect way to begin their self-titled reincarnation. They triumph in taking this record to a much happier, more present place, once again delivering another Bleachers victory.
