In 2015, New Jersey singer-songwriter Leslie Bear released a hazy and gorgeous full-length debut called Sleepwalker under her moniker Long Beard. After a few years of relative silence, Bear is finally back with Long Beard’s sophomore album, Means To Me, which was co-produced with Craig Hendrix of Japanese Breakfast. Influenced by a move back home to New Jersey and the isolation and nostalgia that came with it, Bear’s new project focuses on the question of what constitutes a home.

To accompany the announcement, Bear released lead single “Sweetheart,” a bittersweet song that finds Bear reminiscing over a past love. Sitting snugly between shoegaze and beachy indie pop, “Sweetheart” evokes melancholic remembrance and stifled hope for the future. “Told you, about my first kiss/ In the rain out of CVS,” Bear sings. “Since then I’ve found/ What I’m worth to myself.”

Here’s a quote that Bear gave to the FADER about the track:

“Sweetheart” is a nostalgic song that shifts between the distant past and the present. It’s a letter to someone you’ve lost touch with from a long time ago, finding some small connection to their life with regards to yours- how the thought of them resurfaces every once in a while and how they may have shaped the person you’ve become while wondering if you’ve had a similar impact on them. It’s written almost as a stream of consciousness with a heavy daydream mood.

Listen to “Sweetheart” below.

TRACKLIST
01 “Countless”
02 “Getting By”
03 “Snowglobe”
04 “Sweetheart”
05 “Empty Bottle”
06 “In The Morning”
07 “Forever”
08 “Means To Me”
09 “Monarch”
10 “The Last”

CREDIT: Nathan Bajar

Means To Me is out 9/13 via Double Double Whammy. Pre-order it here.