alt-J returned with a new single on Thursday, “Get Better”, along with a music video. The single is the second off the group’s forthcoming album, The Dream, out on February 11th.
As opposed to The Dream‘s lead single, “U&ME“, this track features an acoustic approach from the art-rock trio. Drummer Thom Sonny Green sits this one out as guitarist Joe Newman provides gentle acoustic strums and Gus Unger-Hamilton texturizes on grand piano. The centerpiece of the song isn’t the instrumentation, however, as Newman’s lyrics become a cinematic focal point.
Paired with a pixelated video by Stefanie Grunwald, the song gives a face and a story to the millions who have lost loved ones to the pandemic. The process of grief is examined through the confines of isolation, as the bereaved are forced to process their trauma from a social distance.
Newman described “Get Better” as “the union of two songs.” One was a vocal improvisation he sang to his partner, Darcy Wallace, back in 2018, “Get better, my Darcy/ I know you can,” which acts as a mantra for the single. The other is a chord progression he wrote during the pandemic when thinking about all of the losses from COVID.
“I felt nervous heat when writing ‘Get Better,’” Newman said 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.”
Watch the video for the new alt-J single, “Get Better” below. The band is currently slated to tour North American in February 2022 with Portugal. the Man and special guests Cherry Glazer and Sir Chloe. For tickets and a full list of tour dates visit the band’s website.
alt-J – “Get Better” (Official Video)
alt-J has also announced a charity raffle for a guitar signed by the group adorned with the lyrics to “Get Better”. Fans can purchase tickets to win a Larrivee P-05 guitar, the same model Newman used to record the single and much of The Dream, with proceeds benefiting Plan International, a charity focused on creating lasting equality for girls and protection for the rights of children in over 50 countries. Click here for tickets and scroll down to see the guitar.
[H/T Consequence of Sound]