the deep listen - day 2

Greetings from Day 2 of The Deep Listen! Today we dive into the next two songs on Sprezzatura: the album’s third single “Hungry Land”, and “Lovers of the Last Resort”—the first one on the record to feature a string quartet. Scroll down or hit one of the buttons below to get started!

“‘Lovers Of The Last Resort’ is dynamic, cinematic and again puts Jen’s vocals at center stage.” —Rock and Blues Muse

the songs

behind the songs

hungry land

We walk this hungry land
Under the eyes of every specious man
Love has left these barren streets
In its place flags of retreat

Hear the sound of his name
Put in a state of shame
Drug you with his public speech
Beware of those who saintly preach

This is a hungry land

Tell your story and tell it well
Maybe bit by bit we’ll get out of this hell
Every kingdom collapses

This time you’re gonna get him where it hurts
Come up and let the world know girl
No woman will judge her worth
By the appetite of animals

lovers of the last resort

I’m not the one you want,
but I’m the one you need
I’m not a debutante,
but I’m a one of a kind breed
I tend to drink too much when we’re out
Hits me like a train of adolescent pain
when you tell me I’m out of line
Love is just a sickness
longs to be eurythmic

Seek and destroy
All them hearts of lonely boys
Seek and destroy
A broken heart you can’t avoid

I’m not the one you want,
but I’m the one you need
I’m not the one you want,
but honey, I still bleed
Believe me when I say
I’d rob a bank for you
I need the money too
Regret ain’t worth the time
You already lost it
way before you bought it

Lovers of the last resort

EXTRAS

Lovers of the Last Resort (strings)

Hungry Land (horns/drums/bass)

We’re suckers for strings, so here are the isolated strings from “Lovers of the Last Resort”. This is the first of two string arrangements on Sprezzatura by Chris Barrett. Performed by Eva Walsh (violin), Clara Kebabian (violin), Joanna Ostrander (viola), and Jonah Sacks (cello). And this stripped-back mix of “Hungry Land” puts the horns front and center.

We’ve always been hands-on with our records, but Sprezzatura is the most detailed we’ve ever been on pre-production for a record—a task made easier by Charles, who’s a producer and recording engineer in his own right. When it comes to recording know-how, he’s often our translator.

Here’s a brief email exchange between Charles and Chuck going over references for drum tones for “Group 2”. Some may find this pedantic—even nerdy—but studio time ain’t cheap. And anyway, listening to all these reference tracks was fun.

The second page has general production notes for “Hungry Land” and “Lovers of the Last Resort”. (Click to enlarge.)

Charles and Chuck discussing references for different drum groupings.

Tomorrow we close out Sprezzatura‘s Side A with “Salvage Yard”. See ya then!

Links
• Day 1