Over the past year, the Minneapolis duo Now, Now have slowly come back to life, starting with their first song in five years, "SGL," then with their first-ever headlining tour, and then with another single, "Yours," all with the promise of the band's third full-length album hanging over them enticingly in the future. Now (now), that album has been officially announced: It's called Saved, and it'll be out on 5/18, via Chris Walla's Trans- Records, which also put out their last album, 2012's Threads.
Today, they're sharing a new song from the album, "AZ," one that they've played live before but that really shines with a studio sheen. It's a song about ghosts and the way that memories haunt us and, appropriately enough, it sounds like a hazy vision. "A holy figure at the edge of my bed/ He leaned in closely and said nothing to me," KC Dalager sings. "The spitting image of you when I'm alone/ I see you calling to me, then I see nothing at all."
The baseline is a crisp acoustic guitar that sounds as sharp as knives, and a wispy backbeat that blossoms and morphs as the song builds. The band keeps adding layers and layers until the weight of those memories becomes crushing -- "Back to the sun, we all drove out to Arizona" -- as Brad Hale's precise drumming and some well-placed synths occupy the frame. It's a road trip that seems grim in the rearview mirror; at the end, a processed voice repeats, "Back to the heart of it all," a rush into emotions that maybe were better left dormant.
"AZ" debuted alongside a Fader feature, and you can listen to it below. Also, revisit our interview with the band from last summer.
Saved is out 5/18 via Trans- Records.
