Unsurprisingly, most artists have spent 2020 and 2021 turning inward, using the suspended animation of quarantine to understand the landscapes within. For Von Bieker, he turned his imagination outwards, traveling via the lyrics of his new album Long For This World. I wrote up one of the album’s singles, “Haunted,” a few months ago, and the rest of the album is a strong follow-up to the song’s groove-rooted chamber pop.
From the backseat of a bar to the shores of Coney Island and a dreary hospital in Alberta, Von Bieker’s lyrics transport us to distant locals…all while pinning down the most difficult questions and answers we have for ourselves. An album brimming with love, regret, and loss, Long For This World reminds us to live a life well-lived, wherever that puts us.
“Artist’s Life,” which you can hear on the Tuesday Teardrops Spotify playlist, is the album’s standout track. It’s a story song from the perspective of a woman whose plans go awry — at least from the outside. She finds a way to live out her dreams, even if life doesn’t go as planned. And if that isn’t a universal message right now, I don’t know what is.
Von Bieker’s attention to detail makes this album a treasure. As textured as the songs are, there is never a stray note or production that is too ornate. All ten tracks will cut to your heart with their sense of humanity. For good or ill, feeling everything to its fullest is what reminds us we are alive.