Jessica Pratt has announced her fourth album, Here in the Pitch, due May 3 via Mexican Summer (pre-order). “I became obsessed with figures emblematic of the dark side of the Californian dream while making this record,” Jessica says via press release. She also describes the album as “big panoramic sounds that make you think of the ocean and California.”
Just like Pratt’s earlier material, “Life Is” sounds like something that could’ve come out 60 years ago, but compared to her usual bare-bones folk vibes, this is more of a fleshed-out ’60s pop-style ballad that’s powered by an insistent timpani rhythm and multi-layered arrangements. “In a way, itʼs kind of a false flag,” Jessica says, and the press release then notes that “the rest of the record is just as emotionally intimate and stark as fans have come to expect.” But, she adds, “I also feel like itʼs a statement of intention.”
The album was made with multi-instrumentalist/engineer Al Carlson, keyboardist Matt McDermott, bassist Spencer Zahn, and percussionist Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Atoms for Peace, etc), as well as contributions from Ryley Walker, Peter Mudge, and Alex Goldberg. The new song comes with a video that Jessica co-directed with Colby Droscher. Check it out below.
Jessica also tour dates coming up, including Europe/UK shows with Joanna Sternberg and US shows that currently have no opener announced. That includes NYC’s July 24 at Bowery Ballroom. All dates are listed below.
Tracklist
1. Life Is
2. Better Hate
3. World on a String
4. Get Your Head Out
5. By Hook or by Crook 6. Nowhere It Was
7. Empires Never Know 8. Glances
9. The Last Year
Jessica Pratt — 2024 Tour Dates
Fri. May 31 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound
Sun. June 2 – Paris, FR @ LʼAlhambra *
Mon. June 3 – Brussels, BE @ AB Theater *
Tue. June 4 – Amsterdam, NL @ Zonnehuis *
Thu. June 6 – London, UK @ Union Chapel *
Thu. June 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Fri. June 21 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy + Harrietʼs
Sat. June 22 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimboʼs 365 Club
Wed. June 26 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Thu. June 27 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Wed. July 24 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
Fri. July 26 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
Sat. July 27 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
= support from Joanna Sternberg
