Mutual Benefit (a.k.a. singer-songwriter Jordan Lee) has announced the follow-up to 2013's acclaimed debut Love's Crushing Diamond. Titled Skip a Sinking Stone, the project's second full-length album will arrive on May 20 through Mom+Pop.
A press release notes that the upcoming album serves as both a "meditation on impermanence" and a "portrait of growing up," combining Lee's thoughtful lyrics with lush orchestral folk arrangements.
The first half of the record embraces a hopeful sound, reflecting a year of friendship, creative collaboration, touring, and being in love. The latter half finds Lee settled in New York, working on a record full time and tethered to a single place as a growing depression sinks in, brought on by a difficult period in his relationship and a city bustling with anger and unrest over the Eric Garner verdict.
"I kept coming back to how nice that was, throwing these stones against the water," Lee said in a statement, referencing the album's title. "I thought it was a fitting metaphor for the endeavours I have in my life — sometimes they work out and sometimes they don't. I think it's a good exercise in accepting impermanence and failure and these things that are constant, and yet the activity of skipping stones is really relaxing and beautiful."
You can hear the new album's first single "Not for Nothing" by watching its accompanying video below. Scroll past the Skip a Sinking Stone tracklisting and Mutual Benefit's upcoming tour dates to give it a look.
Skip a Sinking Stone:
1. Madrugada
2. Skipping Stones
3. Closer Still
4. Lost Dreamers
5. Getting Gone
6. Not For Nothing
7. Nocturne
8. Slow March
9. Many Returns
10. City Sirens
11. Fire Escape
12. The Hereafter
Tour dates:
03/02 Nashville, TN - City Winery *
03/03 Mobile, AL - Merry Widow *
03/04 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder *
03/05 Orlando, FL - Avalon Gallery
03/06 Savannah, GA - The Sentient Bean
03/07 Athens, GA - Georgia Theater *
03/08 Charleston, SC - Pour House *
03/09 Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theater *
03/10 Washington, DC - Sixth & I Synagogue *
03/11 York, PA - Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center – Strand Theater *
03/12 Hartford, CT - Infinity Hall *
03/13 Providence, RI - Columbus Theatre
03/14 Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall *
03/15 Portsmouth, NH - 3S Art Space *
03/16 Somerville, MA - Sommerville Theater *
03/18 Albany, NY - The Egg – Swyer Theatre *
03/19 Buffalo, NY - Tralf Theatre *
03/20 Morgantown, WV - Morgantown Mainstage *
04/25 Amsterdam, NL - Sugarfactory
04/26 Antwerp, BE - Trix Bar
04/28 London, UK - Bush Hall
04/29 Paris, FR - Le Point Ephemere
05/27 Toronto, ON - The Drake Hotel
05/28 Lansing, MI - Mac's Bar
05/30 Pontiac, MI - Pike Room
05/31 Chicago, IL - Schubas Tavern
06/1 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
06/5 Seattle, WA - Barboza
06/6 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
06/8 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop
06/10 Los Angeles, CA - The Resident
06/11 San Diego, CA - Casbah
06/14 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
06/15 Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
06/17 St. Louis, MO - The Luminary Center for the Arts
06/18 Columbus, OH - The Basement
06/20 Washington, DC - DC9
06/21 Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle
06/22 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
06/23 Brooklyn, NY - Baby's All Right
06/24 Boston, MA - Great Scott
* with Deer Tick
A press release notes that the upcoming album serves as both a "meditation on impermanence" and a "portrait of growing up," combining Lee's thoughtful lyrics with lush orchestral folk arrangements.
The first half of the record embraces a hopeful sound, reflecting a year of friendship, creative collaboration, touring, and being in love. The latter half finds Lee settled in New York, working on a record full time and tethered to a single place as a growing depression sinks in, brought on by a difficult period in his relationship and a city bustling with anger and unrest over the Eric Garner verdict.
"I kept coming back to how nice that was, throwing these stones against the water," Lee said in a statement, referencing the album's title. "I thought it was a fitting metaphor for the endeavours I have in my life — sometimes they work out and sometimes they don't. I think it's a good exercise in accepting impermanence and failure and these things that are constant, and yet the activity of skipping stones is really relaxing and beautiful."
You can hear the new album's first single "Not for Nothing" by watching its accompanying video below. Scroll past the Skip a Sinking Stone tracklisting and Mutual Benefit's upcoming tour dates to give it a look.
Skip a Sinking Stone:
1. Madrugada
2. Skipping Stones
3. Closer Still
4. Lost Dreamers
5. Getting Gone
6. Not For Nothing
7. Nocturne
8. Slow March
9. Many Returns
10. City Sirens
11. Fire Escape
12. The Hereafter
Tour dates:
03/02 Nashville, TN - City Winery *
03/03 Mobile, AL - Merry Widow *
03/04 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder *
03/05 Orlando, FL - Avalon Gallery
03/06 Savannah, GA - The Sentient Bean
03/07 Athens, GA - Georgia Theater *
03/08 Charleston, SC - Pour House *
03/09 Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theater *
03/10 Washington, DC - Sixth & I Synagogue *
03/11 York, PA - Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center – Strand Theater *
03/12 Hartford, CT - Infinity Hall *
03/13 Providence, RI - Columbus Theatre
03/14 Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall *
03/15 Portsmouth, NH - 3S Art Space *
03/16 Somerville, MA - Sommerville Theater *
03/18 Albany, NY - The Egg – Swyer Theatre *
03/19 Buffalo, NY - Tralf Theatre *
03/20 Morgantown, WV - Morgantown Mainstage *
04/25 Amsterdam, NL - Sugarfactory
04/26 Antwerp, BE - Trix Bar
04/28 London, UK - Bush Hall
04/29 Paris, FR - Le Point Ephemere
05/27 Toronto, ON - The Drake Hotel
05/28 Lansing, MI - Mac's Bar
05/30 Pontiac, MI - Pike Room
05/31 Chicago, IL - Schubas Tavern
06/1 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
06/5 Seattle, WA - Barboza
06/6 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
06/8 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop
06/10 Los Angeles, CA - The Resident
06/11 San Diego, CA - Casbah
06/14 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
06/15 Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
06/17 St. Louis, MO - The Luminary Center for the Arts
06/18 Columbus, OH - The Basement
06/20 Washington, DC - DC9
06/21 Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle
06/22 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
06/23 Brooklyn, NY - Baby's All Right
06/24 Boston, MA - Great Scott
* with Deer Tick