Producing for a plethora of artists has served Jack Antonoff, frontman of Bleachers, for several years now. He has an ease to its variety of literal bells and whistles, as he has shaped female popstars’ intimate records (Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Clairo…), and the six touring members of this band have been dedicated to creative output that provides more context to all of Antonoff’s encompassing industry work.
Since a breakthrough under the group name Steel Train that included highschool-sweetheart-inspired collaboration with ex girlfriend Scarlett Johansson on “Bullet,” love has been the defining factor for the seminal artist’s progression. Now with the single’s music video for “you and forever” starring his wife Margaret Qualley, the infamy of Jack’s personal life is updated, and bears more personal significance than in the proposal/wedding tune “Margaret” from Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
The newest Bleachers album, everyone for ten minutes, is not necessarily the type of pop, source material that could yield an all female (Mitski, Brooke Candy, Grimes, Elle King, Lucius…) covers re-release like past projects Strange Desire or Gone Now, but it still exists completely as a mode for shrining the divine feminine.
Like the pop-up recreation of his childhood bedroom brought on tour for fans to step into, Antonoff has never shied away from exposing what inspires his process. Now, with a slight sonic shift since the work on “Chinatown” he did with hero Bruce Springsteen, EFTM is jamming and makes clear that the predecessor self-titled album, Bleachers, was a step into a defined vision of style. Not all eponymous records make this succession clear, as on Dorian Electra’s recent release, but since 2024, Jack Antonoff has achieved a personal sound outside his production work.
With a mostly black and white discography of artwork, each release by Bleachers maintains a unique direction that lets sonic components bring the color. Track one, “sideways,” has a powerful entrance reminiscent of the Springsteen collab with its booming. A unique stadium sound backs lines like, “So follow me, I know this haze,” through distortion too succinct to be classified as just shoegaze. He asks for one way tickets and it’s clear his world will never be the same, which thanks to headlines has a preconceived meaning of being tied to marriage as a milestone.
“the van” takes a similar route in storytelling, with an ability that has been clear since 2017’s “Goodmorning” which brought to mind David Bowie’s “Everyone Says Hi” lyrically. A sampling style akin to Kanye West or Bon Iver has a folk turnout including harmonica to complement hums. “we should talk” reignites autotune as a Bleachers tool, but has ‘80s flair and a twang that supports an extremely layered approach to irony in the messaging, “We shared a brain in 2012 ‘fore everyone had a hot take from Hell.” The production is A.G.-Cook-evocative and even samples Apple’s FaceTime noise.
This effect in particular holds so much nostalgia, that its simple inclusion adds sentimentality, just like on Lily Allen’s most recent title track for West End Girl, which also went so far as to playthrough an entire phone call dialogue. “you and forever,” track four, boasts another intro that captures attention, with unique cues for buildup as acapella loops plead. Partnership seemingly brings confidence, and the instrumental may not be as memorable as if HAIM had done it with uniformity as a band that almost anticipates each other’s next moves or frequent flares, but the key players in Bleachers still groove, just with a bit more of a washed out competition in the rocking idiosyncrasies.
Highlight single, “dirty wedding dress” is peak with an absolute need to blare during an outdoor ceremony. Relaxed studio takes for vocals feel more natural than Bleachers’ debut, which chose completely ‘80s-esque delivery, like on the backing contributions to Taylor Swift’s 1989. ‘Sha la las’ and ‘Ba ba bas’ are not quite as cool as when The Velvet Underground’s Lou Reed did it, but accessibility is achieved with ‘Ohs and oos’ in the vein of recession pop.
Cheesiness manages to be bearable and brings to mind an Adam Sandler comedy soundtrack, where whining and intentional breaking in Jack’s voice is charming. Meta takes like his last release’s screaming, “Bleachers made an OnlyFans!” is now a signature of quips regarding the music business. Pounding drums keep the project from coming across too country. “take you out tonight” is a gospel attempt saying, “Cause it’s brutal to be baptized,” sounding straight out of a PG movie while still directing shouts to adult listeners, “Don’t make the kids pay for your loan, babe!” Throaty groans and saxophone blare with freedom as it progresses and organ is completely secular.
Song seven, “i can’t believe you’re gone,” bounces back to low octave emotion that juxtaposes interestingly with the falsetto of prior tracks. An almost Irish jig flow in its ballad construction mourns tradition. With no pun intended–Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024, Antonoff-curated album was of the following name–it is ‘short and sweet.’ Number eight, “dancing,” has a simple harp that descends tonally, while still capturing what the lyrics implore, “…Scaling an ice wall.” Track nine, “she’s from before” reaches homeostasis and feels fully fleshed out as the album lets acoustic guitar act as a foundation for the other components, “I must tire myself out now.”
“i’m not joking” calls upon harpsichord in a Tori Amos manner and creates a radio-friendly chorus with remarkable snares. The rejoicing over soulmate discovery feels equivalent to Father John Misty’s 2015 I Love You, Honeybear. Saxophone continues to be a standout choice, and a vintage feeling is accomplished with sayings like, “Yammering,” “You held the door, picked up the phone,” and “Good lord.” Leading into the finale, Antonoff painstakingly affirms, “When you want what you get, when you get what you want, all of that fear comes out in the big wash.” Closing number, “upstairs at els” plays dulcimer with significant bliss, like on St. Vincent’s Daddy’s Home, which Jack also worked on. Wordiness throughout the release captures interest and begs for tuning into a press or actual tour that could explain further who the characters of everyone for ten minutes are and how they earned their place immortalized.
Softness in the all lowercase spelling of the album and track titles feels intentional on everyone for ten minutes, and romantic themes are pervasive. The singles have an improved cohesion in their context of the album listened to in order, and MTV Unplugged should call the band back for a round two. There is a fearlessness in how Antonoff shares his streams of consciousness, since his past collaborative EP with Sia, where he logged dreamscapes for fifteen minutes on “Dreams Aren’t Random.” His honesty pays off and the group has stayed engaging over the years, much moreso than work by ‘fun.’ a band in which Jack played mainly drums. This Bleachers release’s lack of featured artists is a strong suit, and although I saw them in concert during their 2018 tour, I am desperate to see how such climactic, newer work will play out onstage.
everyone for ten minutes by Bleachers is out now.
Words by Maxwell Williams for Staged Haze
0 comments on “‘I Know This Haze,’ Says Bleachers on New Album ‘everyone for ten minutes’”