Montreal's Alex Nicol released his EP Been a Long Year Vol. 1 earlier this year, and today he announces its sister EP — and the second half of a full-length album that combines the two projects — Been a Long Year Vol. 2, arriving December 1. Alongside the announcement, Nicol has shared the video for new single "Working on My Tan."
Been a Long Year Vol. 2 is described as a more overt collection of songs than its predecessor, with songs like "Simple Fires" tackling issues like climate change head-on. "Working on My Tan" is a mediation on how difficult it can be to live in the present moment.
"The relaxed pacing and laid-back instrumentation of 'Working on My Tan' gives the song a deceptively chill veneer, but there's a tension bubbling beneath it," Nicol said in a statement. "The protagonist runs through a list of ways he's trying to be present and live in the moment, but he's clearly struggling to find a sense of lasting calm in an overwhelming world. Ultimately, the song finds its antidote for stress overload by connecting with the natural world, but also examines how difficult unplugging from the grind can be."
Check out "Working on My Tan" below and see the combined EPs' tracklist below.
Been A Long Year Vol. 1 & 2:
1. Eye for an Eye
2. Fabricated Hedonist
3. Sit Around and Wait
4. Hollywood
5. Been a Long Year
6. Working on My Tan
7. Simple Fires
8. Colour My World
9. Simmer
10. Song for Franz
Been a Long Year Vol. 2 is described as a more overt collection of songs than its predecessor, with songs like "Simple Fires" tackling issues like climate change head-on. "Working on My Tan" is a mediation on how difficult it can be to live in the present moment.
"The relaxed pacing and laid-back instrumentation of 'Working on My Tan' gives the song a deceptively chill veneer, but there's a tension bubbling beneath it," Nicol said in a statement. "The protagonist runs through a list of ways he's trying to be present and live in the moment, but he's clearly struggling to find a sense of lasting calm in an overwhelming world. Ultimately, the song finds its antidote for stress overload by connecting with the natural world, but also examines how difficult unplugging from the grind can be."
Check out "Working on My Tan" below and see the combined EPs' tracklist below.
Been A Long Year Vol. 1 & 2:
1. Eye for an Eye
2. Fabricated Hedonist
3. Sit Around and Wait
4. Hollywood
5. Been a Long Year
6. Working on My Tan
7. Simple Fires
8. Colour My World
9. Simmer
10. Song for Franz
