Boston alt-rock OG Juliana Hatfield has remained prolific for decades, releasing a flurry of both original material and covers. Next up for the erstwhile Blake Baby is a new album called Lightning Might Strike, set to drop in December. The title comes from a lyric in lead single "Scratchers," which is all about the thrills and/or delusions associated with playing the lottery.
Switching between minor and major chords, "Scratchers" indulges the fleeting hope that sometimes makes gambling feel like the only path out of financial desperation under our current dystopia, while acknowledging that it's almost always a dead end. The song is tense, propulsive, and catchy, and it shows she's still operating on or near the level of "My Sister" all these years later.
Speaking of family members: "My octogenarian mother/ Sometimes she too plays the numbers," Hatfield sings at one point, noting her mom's intent to leave behind a fortune for her loved ones when she's gone in a gesture of "theoretical generosity." Later on, Hatfield implicates herself: "I always had a feeling that I was born to win." Watch Paige Applin's video for "Scratchers" below.
TRACKLIST:
01 "Fall Apart"
02 "Long Slow Nervous Breakdown"
03 "Popsicle"
04 "My House Is Not My Dream House"
05 "Harmonizing With Myself"
06 "Scratchers"
07 "Constant Companion"
08 "Where Are You Now"
09 "Strong Too Long"
10 "Wouldn't Change Anything"
11 "Ashes"
12 "All I've Got"
Lightning Might Strike is out 12/12 on American Laundromat. Pre-order it here.
