While Jack Antonoff is usually known for his production, people should also be paying more attention to his band, Bleachers.
Even I can admit that I sometimes snub Bleachers from my music library. Besides their song “Don’t Take the Money,” I never really listened to the band.
As a huge fan of almost all of the artists Antonoff produces music for (Taylor Swift, Lorde, Lana Del Rey, The 1975), I figured I had to give the new album a try. After the first listen, I was captivated.
The album combines older-sounding music along with a level of lyricism usually displayed in his work with Swift. And of course, I really loved the features and background vocals from Del Rey, Clairo and Claud.
As well as writing and music credits from Matty Healy and Aaron Dessner. As a Jersey girl born and raised, I loved to hear a newer album that captures living in the state.
After a few listens, I was able to accurately rank each song on the album, although it definitely took some time to formulate a list. Here is my ranking of the Bleachers album.
- “we’re gonna know each other Forever”
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Coming in as my least favorite track on the album is “We’re Gonna Know Each Other Forever.” I just was not able to get into this song as much as the other tracks on the album.
While I really love the lyricism and the fact that I can relate to leaving my hometown, the vibe of this song just has not been something that I can get into.
- “The Waiter”
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While I love the lyricism on this track, I am not the biggest fan of the production. Coming after “Ordinary Heaven,” I was expecting this song to have a similar vibe, but it is so different.
If this song was at a different point of the album, I feel like I would have liked it much more than I do.
- “alma mater”
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When the album was announced, I was so excited to hear another collab between Del Rey and Bleachers.
After hearing “Margaret” on Del Rey’s “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard?” it immediately became one of my favorite songs in her discography.
However, I’m still struggling to love this song as much as “Margaret.” The song is good, but in my opinion, does not live up to the expectations of the album or the previous song set.
- “ordinary heaven”
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This song is so dreamy. In my opinion, this song should have been the closer to the album because of how perfect the outro is.
Listening to the album for the first time, I was so surprised when there was a song after this.
- “woke up today”
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It was very hard for me to put this song so low on my rankings because I love how happy this song makes me. It really encapsulates how one day in your life can change everything, and how a good morning can give you the motivation to do great things.
I feel that this song changed it all for Antonoff, regarding how he was able to move on after the loss of his sister and find happiness in his life with his wife.
- “call me after midnight”
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I love this song because it is a very typical alternative. It might be basic, but it just hits all of the right notes.
This song features Sam Dew, who is a singer and songwriter who has worked on past Bleachers songs, as well as songs with Swift, and Del Rey.
- “I am right on time”
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Personally, I feel like this track was the perfect opener to this album. Throughout the song, Antonoff introduces the themes of love and growth that are prevalent throughout the entire album.
The instrumentation and vocals especially are my favorite parts of this song. They are so different than every other song but complement each other so well.
- “hey joe”
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This track might be the shortest on the album, but it still has an amazing vibe. I am a huge fan of Swift’s “Folklore” and “Evermore” albums, so I was so excited once I found out Aaron Dessner co-wrote this song with Antonoff.
This is one of the songs on the album that tells a story that is not personally connected to Antonoff’s life.
- “isimo”
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This track definitely took a little while to grow on me, but once it did, it became one of my favorites. Antonoff has shared some of his doubts about relationships and marriage in the past and even expressed how hard it is for him to open up.
“Isimo” is his love letter to his wife, which is both super emotional and heartwarming.
- “Modern Girl”
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I’ve been listening to “Modern Girl” since it was released last year, and I still love it. The song has this vibe that feels like it will be around and relevant for a long time.
I’m also not ashamed to admit it was in my top 50 songs of my 2023 Apple Music Replay.
- “Tiny Moves”
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Rounding out the top five is probably the most fun song on the album. This track just brings instant happiness to me when I hear it.
Additionally, knowing the song is about Antonoff’s wife Margaret Qualley makes the lyrics even cuter.
- “Me Before You”
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This track is so subtle, yet so sweet at the same time. Antonoff sings about a time before he met his wife and how life was so different before she was in his life.
The song is about the struggles of being alone, which I feel is relatable for anyone at a certain time in their life.
- “Jesus is Dead”
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After listening to this song, it was easy to see that this is going to be one of the biggest alternative songs of the year. The entire vibe of the song is so upbeat and reminds me of songs from the 2000s alternative movement.
The lyrics, “Jesus is dead and so’s New York/I built a place right down the shore/It’s nice” make me so happy being from New Jersey.
Escaping from the city and being able to reach the quiet of the shore is beautiful and makes me connect to this song even more.
- “Self Respect”
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This track is easily my favorite on the entire album. While the lyricism is definitely a little strange at times, the song is just so fun.
As someone who definitely overthinks a lot of things, this song resonates with me. It would be so fun to do something random just to do it, without having to overthink anything.
After giving this album a listen, I’m confident that I can see myself adding more Bleachers music to my playlist.
This album has been on repeat the entire week, and I do not see myself stopping any time soon. This album has definitely been the biggest surprise of 2024 so far for me.