“Forthright and unguarded, willing to open itself up to vulnerability in order to make progress.” That was our summation of Stephen Becker‘s new album Gravity Blanket back in March, with lead single ‘Bad Idea’ delving into the immediate aftermath of a relationship in order to not only evoke the sadness of the moment but also the nascent will to change. “‘Bad Idea’ is about a breakup I went through after seeing the ballet,” Becker explained. “The haunting feeling of the dancers’ movements lingering in my mind, the sad-sweet taste of spiked lemonade on the train ride home. I was thinking about, and trying to manifest, change with a newfound determination to break free from unhealthy routines and patterns in life and in love.”
Such a style is typical of Gravity Blanket, the record seeing Stephen Becker dig through the assorted fragments of ordinary life in search of some lesson or sense of higher meaning, even if it requires him to unearth some uncomfortable things in the process. The songs lead from childhood through adolescence and young adult life, featuring everything from Slinkys and Haribo frogs to break-ups and hallucinations, though Becker’s inventive lyricism and arrangements maintain both playfulness and vulnerability across them all.
Sitting at the louder, slightly more disordered end of the spectrum, latest single ‘Careless’ again focuses on a failing relationship, though is more ambiguous than its predecessor. Because while ‘Bad Idea’ existed within the moment an end became clear cut, ‘Careless’ instead focuses on the uncertainty which worms its way the cracks of struggling partnership. “I was stuck on the word ‘careless’, and how adding a space flips its meaning entirely,” Becker expands. “In relationships, it’s hard to know whether someone’s just being careless (silly, impersonal) or if they actually care less (harsh). I tried to capture that ambiguity with a wily post-chorus guitar riff in the vein of Jonny Greenwood and Ed Rodriguez.”
It’s obvious, that you care less
It’s obvious, that you’re careless
It’s obvious but not obvious to me
Watch the video directed by Haoyan of America below:
Gravity Blanket will be released on the 24th April and you can pre-order it now.