Valentine’s Day. The day to shower your partner and loved ones with love and affection. But, if you were single this past Valentine’s, your favorite artists made sure to shower your playlists with love by providing you with new music. Bon Iver, Sabrina Carpenter, Role Model and The Lumineers are some of the few who gifted us new music this Valentine’s Day.
Bon Iver
Indie folk band Bon Iver released the first single from their upcoming album, “SABLE, fABLE,” to be released April 11. This will be their first full-length album in five years. After releasing an EP in 2024 with four tracks from the upcoming album, the first single, “Everything is Peaceful Love,” has a fitting title for the timing of its release. With its simple synth-pop beat, it will be interesting to see how the remainder of the album shakes out.
Bon Iver has built a distinct sound for himself since the explosion of his song “Skinny Love” released in 2007. The other songs from the EP reminisce the sound of Bon Iver’s early work “For Emma, Forever Ago” and “Bon Iver, Bon Iver.” The best way to describe the way his music sounds is a rainy day in the Pacific Northwest with a slight chill in the air. The air around you smells of damp cedar and pine trees. Everything is quiet.
The synth sound heard in “Everything is Peaceful Love” is reminiscent of his album “22, A Million,” an album introduced to me by my high school English teacher. He played us the song “715 Creeks” in class one day. He prefaced the song by letting us know hearing it would be life-changing. I immediately hated it.
Long story short, I hope “SABLE, fABLE” provides more of that old Bon Iver sound.
Sabrina Carpenter
Pint-sized pop princess Sabrina Carpenter released the deluxe version of her 2024 album “Short n’ Sweet” as a treat for winning two of her six Grammy Award nominations. The Best Pop Vocal Album winner adds five new songs to the 12 from the album’s original release.
“15 Minutes” covers the concept of time from her perspective as an artist while incorporating some playful innuendos to tell it. Carpenter’s song seems to talk about the idea that she is at her prime, saying “The clock is tickin’ lately” and that she’s “Been here a long time,” likely referencing her lengthy music career of 10 years, not including her time in the TV and movie business. The song’s punchy bridge says that when her time is up, maybe she will leak pictures or “Say somethin’ batshit crazy” in order to remain relevant and get people talking, a hard reality that happens to celebrities when they start to lose their limelight.
“Please Please Please (feat. Dolly Parton)” is a re-release of a hit off the original “Short n’ Sweet,” but with bits added in from country music’s beloved Dolly Parton. The song seems to fall short — and not sweet — among fans with many wishing Parton was featured on “Slim Pickins,” a song with a more folksy tune to it.
“Couldn’t Make It Any Harder” has a soft guitar intro that, upon first listen, reminds me of a 50s and/or 60s love song, almost like something out of the musical “Grease,” but with lyrics holding relevance to the 21st century with her mention of “fuckboys.”
“Busy Woman” is a song that some fans had their hands on prior to the deluxe album release. Carpenter released it for digital download on her online store for a limited time in August, though some fans who downloaded it shared it with the masses. I feel this song is one of the most Sabrina Carpenter-esque songs from the deluxe tracks. It is punchy, has her sassy innuendos and a touch of empowerment. The song, deemed one of Carpenter’s favorites, says if a man wants her, she’ll be there, but if he doesn’t, it’s fine, she does not have the time, she is a busy woman, plus she “didn’t want your little bitch-ass anyway.”
The deluxe album closes with “Bad Reviews,” a song about the bad reviews and bad news about the boy she is in love with, even if it’s “another boy that’s not even my boyfriend.” The way this song carries itself musically reminds me of Carpenter’s “Slim Pickins.” The song could be a possible nod to actor Barry Keoghan as the pair have been seen frequently together, the actor even starring in the music video for “Please Please Please,” but never confirming a relationship. Keoghan has been heavily criticized throughout the pair’s rumored relationship with many ripping at his looks and family. Overall, choosing to end the album with “Bad Reviews” works out. A majority of the album refers to past, current and overall struggles with relationships in a spunky way. Carpenter gets into the subjects of infidelity, immaturity and even pregnancy, closing the album with a song simply reflecting on herself.
Role Model
Tucker Pillsbury, known professionally as Role Model, also released the deluxe version of his album, “Kansas Anymore,” calling it “Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye).” The deluxe album provides fans with four additional songs to the 13 song tracklist.
“Old Recliners” opens with a guitar riff reminiscent of “Texas Sun” by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges. Even if the chorus was not “Thinking ‘bout you, you,” the song contains a strong sense of nostalgia. The song tells a story of remembering the times spent together and how now they are alone.
The most anticipated track, “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out,” is upbeat and very different from the other deluxe tracks. Having teased the song’s bridge on social media, Pillsbury knew how to get fans’ attention: a funky, cute bridge to hype fans up. When the deluxe was released, fans jumped on the album.
“Some Protector” is a devastating song, yearning about a past love. Pillsbury shares that even though this love has moved on, he will always think about them and protect them. This song is about a relationship that is obviously one left on decent terms, given he still feels this much attachment.
The album closes with “The Longest Goodbye.” Fans have compared the backing track to sounding like music from “Toy Story” or “The Princess and the Frog.” The song is just what the title says: a goodbye. This whole album was interpreted as a big goodbye and the way that Pillsbury coped with his breakup with influencer and entrepreneur Emma Chamberlain. The song, closing with the words, “I don’t think you love me anymore/ And I don’t think I love you anymore/ But I don’t think I’ll ever be so sure,” closes this chapter of his life with a gut punch.
The Lumineers
The Lumineers know how to find their sound and stick with it. The group, which has been in existence for 20 years but did not release their first album until 2012, have remained consistent with their alternative folk genre and stompy beats.
“Same Old Song” has a constant thumping through the whole piece. Accompanied by piano, the song sounds upbeat, but the lyrics tell a different story. The song tells what being a struggling artist is like, something both founding band members Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites know all too well. “Asshole” seems to be a song about being betrayed with lyrics like “And I know what you said to me was wrong/ But kindness came and bit my tongue.” The singer knows they have been wronged, but they are forcing themselves to be nice about it. The remainder of the song stays on this theme of thinking of the betrayal they’ve felt and how it keeps them awake at night.
“Strings” is an instrumental interlude, leading listeners into the album’s title track, “Automatic.” This song seems to be a breakdown of the cynical lives we live. Talking of electric cars, salad bars and ordering caviar, all of these expensive things we fill the blanks of our lives with; we are all automatic, going around and around on a track. Everything seems to be a constant loop. Schultz asks, “Oh, my lover, is it ever gonna be enough?”
The release of tracks “You’re All I Got” and “So Long” coincided with each other. “You’re All I Got” seems to touch on the lives of The Lumineers, mentioning their impressive 20-year career and lawyer fees. Could this be a song telling the fellow group members they are all they have? Even if this song is not about the band’s expansive career, the fact it can fit this interpretation is impressive and I wish more bands would write music about their careers. We have heard the songs about loving another person, let me hear about the emotion your career brings you!
The way The Lumineers can turn a darker story into a song will always remain impressive. “Plasticine” sounds as if it is about working in the industry. “Plasticine, I can bend me into anything you need.” Artists sometimes force themselves into fitting a mold that is not authentically them because it is what fits the industry standard. “Mixin’ up all our friends and enemies” reflects on how you never know who within the industry is truly your friend or against you.
“Ativan” is now the name of both an anti-anxiety medication, as well as a The Lumineers song. This song is creatively written from the point of view of the medication, suggesting that the user will never experience happiness without medication. The medicine says it sees your blues and madness and deserves the credit for all that the user accomplishes, lyrics that those on anti-anxiety medication can deeply relate to.
In “Keys on the Table,” the lyrics “You’re all I got” make a reappearance. The song’s meaning is hard to decipher, some saying it’s about a relationship ending, others breaking it down to being a story of an addict and their loved ones. After listening to this song I could not figure out what the meaning was. That is when I fell down a reddit rabbit hole about The Lumineers song meanings and found numerous people could connect the lyrics with their own personal stories of addiction or witnessing family going through it.
“Better Day” sounds like it is about life today, following how we are all dreaming of a better day without the fighting, lying and corruption that plagues our society. “Teenagers lead the crusades” refers to how the younger generation has begun to take charge and protest for a better future. “Rubber bullets, pepper spray” refers to non-lethal tactics commonly used against protestors. “Cardboard boxes on the way” can be interpreted as talking about the high homeless population, tents and makeshift shelters commonly lining city streets.
“Sunflowers” has an opening that longtime Lumineers fans will recognize. The tinkering of the piano sounds almost identical to that of the opening of the song “Patience” off of the band’s sophomore album “Cleopatra.” Just like “Patience,” “Sunflowers” is an instrumental, but in its own unique sense as it starts with piano and evolves into a string piece.
The third single released to promote this album, “So Long,” provides a conclusion while also not answering much for listeners. The Lumineers past albums have loosely followed a storyline of their own, building characters and sharing their stories through their music. “Automatic” does not seem to provide the same solace to listeners, making this album widely open to interpretation to those who listen.
Everybody, say thank you to these artists for giving all the yearners and hopeless romantics new music. With the year just starting out and these songs and albums being the introduction to this year in music, 2025 is due to be an exciting year.
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