Photo by Ellika Henrikson
Life Will See You Now is the upcoming album from Jens Lekman, due out next week via Secretly Canadian. The follow-up to 2012’s I Know What Love Isn’t and last year’s ambitious song-a-week “Postcard” series marks his fourth full-length to date.
A press release describes the record as one that “inverts pop’s writing norm by making songs with sad concerns sound happy and songs with a happy subject sound sad.” It’s a theme that’s readily apparent on Lekman’s latest single, “Evening Prayer”. Despite its exuberant handclaps and bubbly air, the offering finds the Swedish songwriter deeply concerned about a loved one in trouble. “I would pray that I could take away your worries,” he sings.
Stream it down below.
Life Will See You Now lands in stores on February 17th via Secretly Canadian. For more, revisit the aromatic lead single, “What’s That Perfume That You Wear?”.
Along with today’s new track, Lekman has launched a contest in which fans can submit music for one of his upcoming concerts. He explained the competition in a detailed statement:
“While rehearsing with the band I realized there was one song that needed something for it’s intro, some kind of loop or something. I told Emelie who handles the samples “we’ll just put like a beat, a sample or something there”. But as I was looking for something in my loop folder today it struck me – maybe some of you would be interested in supplying a piece for this? I won’t tell you what song it is, let’s make that a surprise, but the part should be between 2-20 seconds long, it should be in 117 BPM, 4/4 time and in the key of F Major.
You don’t have to be a pro to be part of this. You can for example bang on some pots in your kitchen and just record it on your phone. Just make sure it’s in the right tempo in that case (download a metronome app and listen through your headphones) or whistle a simple melody you’ve made up, just make sure it’s in the right key. Feel free to use any instruments, including your voice.
If you can, export it as a 24bit WAVE file. But mp3’s and AIFF are ok too.
Send links (please do not send attachments!) along with which show you’re interested in to: jwlyn@secretlygroup.com
I will pick one loop / beat / melody for each city and the lucky winner will get a ticket to that show and hear your composition be mixed into our set!”
Life Will See You Now Tracklist:
01. To Know Your Mission
02. Evening Prayer
03. Hotwire The Ferris Wheel
04. Whats That Perfume That You Wear?
05. Our First Fight
06. Wedding in Finistere
07. How We Met, The Long Version
08. How Can I Tell Him
09. Postcard #17
10. Dandelion Seed
