Earlier this month, Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak announced that she’ll be releasing a new solo album as Flock of Dimes. It’s called Head of Roses and it’s out in April, but today she’s giving us another sampling with a new single called “Price of Blue”.
Her previous single, “Two”, was built around a sprightly synth and the sort of playful, jazzy percussion that was littered throughout the latest Weather Station album. “Price of Blue” is completely different. It’s a six-and-a-half minute song that moves at a drab, down-tempo shuffle and begins with a dizzying shoegaze guitar lick. Wasner still sings with great, big breaths on here and her robust delivery is accompanied by lush meadows of harmonies. However, the song has a much rawer, grungey vibe to it, and it ends with a beautifully fuzzy guitar solo that features a tasteful amount of whammy-bar abuse.
The equally cool-as-hell video was directed by Wasner and Graham Tolbert, and it’s full of shadowy, black-and-white shots of hands holding teeth, coins, and wiping glow-stick liquid on one another. Watch it below while you listen to this slow-burning sensation.
In a statement, Wasner described how “Price of Blue” is a song is about trying and failing to connect.
“It’s about the ways in which, despite our best efforts, we misunderstand each other, and become so attached to stories that we’re unable to see the truth that’s right in front of us,” she said. “And it’s about the invisible mark that another person can leave on your body, heart and mind long after their absence.”
She continued, “It can be difficult to make sense of the memory of your experience when the reality on the surface is always shifting—when the story you’re telling, or the story you’ve been told, unravels, leaving you with a handful of pieces and no idea how they used to fit together.”
Head of Roses is out April 2nd via Sub Pop and pre-orders for the vinyl, CD, and cassette variants are available now. Last summer, Wasner released the Like So Much Desire EP as Flock of Dimes, and Wye Oak released an EP called No Horizon.
