Gone Now

by Bleachers

Overview

"The feeling isn't over," Jack Antonoff sings at one point on Gone Now, and it's a lyric that sums up his aesthetic perfectly. Whether working with Fun., clients like Taylor Swift and Lorde, or on his own, the enduring power of memories and emotions drives Antonoff's music. However, he saves his most potent blend of vulnerability and slickness for Bleachers, and that goes double for the project's second album. In Antonoff's world, you can't move forward without looking back. On Gone Now, he revisits 2001, the year he turned 18 -- a pivotal time in most peoples' lives, and especially for Antonoff, whose sister died of cancer shortly after the 9/11 attacks. He doesn't just create a wall of sound on Gone Now -- the album's emotional and musical depth is more like a room, a haven for his confessional creativity (Antonoff even premiered the album in a replica of his childhood bedroom). Even more vivid and detailed than Strange Desire, this is advanced Bleachers, with Antonoff plunging listeners into hyper-literate stream-of-consciousness meditations that are barely disguised as pop songs. Gone Now's songs are linked to each other with lyrical motifs that ripple out like memories unlocking other memories; meanwhile, the music echoes Prince ("Hate That You Know Me"), Bruce Springsteen ("Goodmorning"), and synth poppers like Naked Eyes ("I Miss Those Days") on an almost subliminal level. As on Strange Desire, Antonoff brandishes his insecurities so boldly that they become strengths, whether the situation is a beginning ("Let's Get Married"), an ending ("Goodbye"), or somewhere in between ("Don't Take the Money"). Gone Now's production and arrangements are as emotive as he is, with prominent samples and found sounds adding to the feeling that the album is spontaneously happening. Meanwhile, the mix ebbs and flows, pulling back as memories overtake Antonoff and swelling up as emotions overcome him, as on the hazy opening track, "Dream of Mickey Mantle." But even when the album reaches a fever pitch on "I'm Ready to Move On/Mickey Mantle Reprise," it never feels anything less than genuine. Though it's hard to believe it's possible, Antonoff shares even more of himself on Gone Now than on Bleachers' debut, and it makes for some of his most immersive and satisfying music yet. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	03/26/2021
Label:	Sony Music
UPC:	0194398634517

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Bleachers   Primary Artist
Sleepy Brown   Vocals (Background)
Nicole Atkins   Vocals (Background)
Phillip Peterson   Strings
Evan Winiker   Bass
Greg Kurstin   Keyboards,Linn Drum
Victoria Parker   Strings
Andrew Dost   Vocals (Background)
Sean Hutchinson   Drums
Carly Rae Jepsen   Vocals (Background)
Evan Smith   Horn,Saxophone,Vocals (Background)
Julia Michaels   Vocals (Background)
Michael Riddleberger   Drums
Sam Dew   Vocals (Background)
Lena Dunham   Vocals (Background)
MO   Vocals (Background)
Lorde   Vocals (Background)
Mikey Freedom Hart   Piano,Guitar
Nico Segal   Trumpet
Camilla Venturini   Voices

Technical Credits

Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Chris Gehringer   Mastering
John Hanes   Mixing Engineer
Jack Antonoff   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Instrumentation
Greg Kurstin   Engineer,Producer,Additional Production
Vince Clarke   Additional Production
Neal Avron   Mixing
Tom Elmhirst   Mixing
Erwin Gorostiza   Creative Director
Alex Pasco   Engineer
David Wolter   A&R
Emile Haynie   Composer,Producer,Additional Production
Daniel Silbert   Photography
Evan Smith   Composer
Julia Michaels   Composer
Laura Sisk   Engineer,Vocal Producer
Sounwave   Additional Production
Tom Krell   Composer
Sam Dew   Composer
Ella Yelich O'Connor   Composer
John Hill   Additional Production
Nineteen85   Producer
Paul Jefferies   Composer
Julian Burg   Engineer
Scott Skrzynski   Assistant
Nico Segal   Composer
Jd Tiner   Vocal Engineer
Michael Bailey Gates   Cover Photo,Photography,Photo Booklet