Indie heroes Alt-J have released the second single from their upcoming album, The Dream. Entitled ‘Get Better’, the new effort is one of the band’s most heartfelt and emotive, and singer Joe Newman really channels his inner Bon Iver. Acoustic, with added textures, it’s the perfect song to soundtrack a brisk autumn morning.
Newman described the track as a “union of two songs”. The first came out of an improvisation he sang to his partner, Darcy, back in 2018: “Get better, my Darcy / I know you can.” The second was a chord progression he wrote during lockdown when thinking of the thousands mourning around the world.
“I felt nervous heat when writing ‘Get Better’,” Newman explained in a press statement. “The context of the Coronavirus pandemic lent my words a chilling weight and gave me a new sense of responsibility as a lyricist. Whilst the direct events described are fictional, I believe — or I hope — that it’s emotionally the most honest song I’ve written.”
The lyrics are so emotionally charged, that keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton “broke down” after hearing only the demo. It was “a big, big cry”, he admitted, “A cry of the year”. Furthermore, ‘Get Better’ is accompanied by a brilliant pixelated video courtesy of artist Stefanie Grunwald. It’s safe to say, Alt-J are back, and we’ve missed them.
Not stopping there with the goodwill, you can enter a charity auction to win a Larrivee P-05 guitar, the same one Newman used to record the track and album that is inscribed in the song’s lyrics. Proceeds will be donated to Plan International, a charity focused on creating equality for girls and children worldwide. You can enter here.
The Dream will be released on February 11th, 2022. Alt-J are scheduled to support it with a 2022 tour in what is likely to be a big year for the band.
