The New Pornographers have a new record label. A.C. Newman and friends will release their ninth album Continue As A Guest on the last day of March via Merge. It’s preceded today by opening track “Really Really Light.” The song was written by Newman and Dan Bejar, and although Newman is on lead vocals here, it’s the only song with a Bejar credit on the album. (Notably, Newman wrote ninth track “Firework In The Falling Snow” with Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz.) Newman’s bandmates this time around are Neko Case, Kathryn Calder, John Collins, Todd Fancey, and Joe Seiders, with saxophonist Zach Djanikian essentially functioning as a seventh member.

A quote from Newman on “Really Really Light”:

Part of my process throughout the years has been messing with things I never finished. I really liked Dan’s chorus, and for a while I was just trying to write something that I felt like belonged with it. I was thinking of the Aloe Blacc song “The Man” which interpolated the chorus from Elton John’s “Your Song” and thought it would be fun to interpolate a song that no one knows. Not trying to sound like Aloe Blacc, just doing some interpolating of my own. It became a game of writing a verse that felt like a part of the same song. In my mind, I was striving for a little Jeff Lynne–era Tom Petty, a classic go-to.

“Really Really Light” is an absolutely fantastic New Pornographers song, spilling over with hooks and striking an ideal balance of ornate beauty and fervent energy. A quarter-century into their run, these kids have still got it! Listen below.

TRACKLIST:

01 “Really Really Light”
02 “Pontius Pilate’s Home Movies”
03 “Cat And Mouse With The Light”
04 “Last And Beautiful”
05 “Continue As A Guest”
06 “Bottle Episodes”
07 “Marie And The Undersea”
08 “Angelcover”
09 “Firework In The Falling Snow”
10 “Wish Automatic Suite”

The band is also hitting the road with Wild Pink this spring:

4/19/23 Asheville, NC @ Salvage Station
4/20/23 Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
4/21/23 New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s
4/22/23 Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
4/23/23 Dallas, TX @ Studio at The Factory
4/25/23 Austin, TX @ Paramount
4/26/23 Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theatre
4/27/23 St. Louis, MO @ Sheldon Concert Hall
4/28/23 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
4/29/23 Kansas City, MO @ The Truman
4/30/23 Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
5/03/23 St. Paul, MN @ The Fitzgerald
5/04/23 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
5/05/23 Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
5/06/23 Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
5/08/23 Cincinnati, OH @ Memorial Hall
5/09/23 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
5/11/23 Detroit, MI @ El Club
5/12/23 Toronto, ON @ Danforth
5/13/23 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom
5/14/23 Norwalk, CT @ Wall Street Theater
5/15/23 Boston, MA @ Royale
5/17/23 New York, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
5/18/23 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
5/19/23 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
5/21/23 Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom

Continue As A Guest is out 3/31 on Merge.