Blessings are imminent, because U.S. Girls — the indie pop project of Meg Remy — return today, February 24th with the new album Bless This Mess. It’s out via 4AD.
Turns out, while Remy was working on the follow-up to U.S. Girls’ great 2020 album Heavy Light, she was also working on something else: Twin baby boys. With a title that seems to poke fun at maternally-targeted, mass-produced Hobby Lobby wall decor, Bless This Mess captures the extremes of Remy’s emotions as a first-time mom and the nuances of procreation.
The album was made with the help of a few notable guests, including Alex Frankel of Holy Ghost! and Roger Manning Jr. of Jellyfish and Beck. One of the album’s audio engineers was Remy’s frequent collaborator Maximilian Turnbull, who just so happens to also be her husband and co-parent. Many of the takes were recorded while Remy was pregnant or with a baby (or two) in her arms, making Bless This Mess all the more personal.
It’s hard to prepare for parenthood, and Bless This Mess lead single “Futures Bet” is an anthem for expecting the unexpected. Instead of being consumed by anxiety and fear, however, the heavy-hitting slow jam embraces the unknown as an opportunity for something beautiful beyond comprehension: “Why don’t we let it all be a mystery/ That we never sort out?” Remy sings over the track’s chugging beat. “This is just life.”
The U.S. Girls tour kicks off April 13th in Montreal. Over eight nights, Remy will make stops in Boston, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, D.C., and Chicago before a two-night hometown finale in Toronto. Grab your tickets here and stream Bless This Mess below.
In 2021, U.S. Girls shared the single “Good Kinda High” featuring the late classical pianist Glenn Gould.
Bless This Mess Artwork:
Bless This Mess Tracklist:
01. Only Daedalus
02. Just Space For Light
03. Screen Face
04. Futures Bet
05. So Typically Now
06. Bless This Mess
07. Tux (Your Body Fills Me, Boo)
08. R.I.P. Roy G. Biv
09. St. James Way
10. Pump
U.S. Girls 2023 Tour Dates:
04/13 – Montreal, QC @ Centre PHI
04/14 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
04/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
04/17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
04/18 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
04/21 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
04/27 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
04/28 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
