Guster are back! The Boston, MA-hailing indie outfit have announced their first studio album in five years (and ninth in total), previewed today by new single "Keep Going."
Ooh La La arrives May 17 via the band's own Ocho Mule Records. It was predominantly produced by Josh Kaufman (the National, the Hold Steady) at Isokon Studio in Woodstock, NY, and apparently marks a bold departure from its predecessor, 2019's Look Alive, through a bedrock of rich acoustic guitar and lush piano.
“Most of these songs were written against the backdrop of what felt like an apocalypse,” lead vocalist/guitarist/bassist Ryan Miller explained in a statement. “It was such a transformative time, and we were dealing with a lot of existential questions about what it means to be a father, a husband, a creative person in the midst of all the chaos.”
Guitarist/vocalist Adam Gardner added, “One thing we’ve continually done as a band is acknowledge what’s going on in our world but still bring some positivity to the music. We’re always going to be real about what’s happening, but we still want to leave people with a feeling of hope.”
The aptly titled single "Keep Going" cashes in on this sentiment with a big, organic-sounding slice of inspira-rock. Watch the video below, where you'll also find the album tracklist.
Ooh La La:
1. This Heart Is Occupied
2. When We Were Stars
3. All Day
4. My Kind
5. Keep Going
6. Gauguin, Cézanne (Everlasting Love)
7. Witness Tree
8. Black Balloon
9. The Elevator
10. Maybe We’re Alright