What is it about human nature that it seeks out comfort and familiarity? Not to play psychologist, but there is an almost desperate yearning to walk back through time and memory, and to cling to those people, places, and objects that first struck and fueled our imagination. The internet, of course, has only exacerbated this desire, making this process of retreat and remembrance accessible within a mere search and a click.
But not every memory we hold on to is golden, and not all nostalgia is comforting. Given it’s title, Nostalgia Porn, I suspect Drew Beskin’s (The District Attorneys, Party Dolls, PURSES) forthcoming LP will delve into themes of sentimentality and our inability to let the past lie, but to what ends I can’t be sure. “I want to take it back,” he declares on lead single “Suspicion from the Start,” before invoking the lingering regrets and doubt that continue to eat at him. It’s a melancholy tune couched in jangly guitars and breezy pop hooks, showcasing the sophisticated subtlety of Beskin’s songwriting.
“‘Suspicion from the Start’ was always going to be the lead single from the new album,” says Beskin. “Jeremy Wheatley came up with the perfect drum beat for the song and we all took to it. It is definitely one of the simplest songs on the album with the least instrumentation but it has become one of our favorites.”
Directed, produced, and edited by Grayson Holt and DT Productions, the video mirrors the track’s easygoing groove. Accompanied by bandmates Phillip Brantley (Palace Doctor) and Hunter Morris (Blue Blood), Beskin performs the song along the banks of a river, creating a laid-back atmosphere that yields its own hypnotic rhythms. There is also cake involved, which is itself a kind of symbol of aging and time, and helps tie back into the song’s aura of yearning.
“We filmed this all in about three hours at the Watson Mills State Park with DT Productions, who are based out of Athens,” Beskin reveals. “We happened to pick a beautiful day to film and we basically just played dress up and played around with some cake. We definitely went for a ‘90s music video vibe. A lot of singing into the camera and attempting to look serious.”
Listen/watch above.
Nostalgia Porn is out Oct. 19 via Laser Brains. The album was produced and mixed by David Barbe at Chase Park Transduction, and mastered by Joe Lambert. You can check out the Brantley-created cover art and the album’s tracklist below.
Nostalgia Porn Tracklist
01. Still the Speaks
02. Pharmacy Girl
03. Suspicion from the Start
04. Just as Long3 a
05. Nostalgia Porn
06. Heavenly Sway
07. The Ice Storm
08. Midnight Avenue Edge
09. Super Suh & Sunny
10. Blue Staging
11. Savoir Faire
Drew Beskin will celebrate the release of Nostalgia Porn on Sat., Nov. 3 at the EARL alongside Cicada Rhythm and Nikki & the Phantom Callers. Details TBA.
More Info
Web: drewbeskin.com
Bandcamp: drewbeskin.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @DrewBeskin
Instagram: @DrewBeskin
SoundCloud: @drewbeskin
Twitter: @DrewBeskin