It follows the band's latest tracks, 'you and forever' and 'dirty wedding dress', in creating a series of tableaus. Perfect snapshots of the seemingly mundane, romanticised into something uplifting. The romance of an eternity together, the dirt on a used wedding dress, and - in this track - recollections of a tour van, allow listeners to explore the intricacies of these lived moments. It's a familiar trait of Antonoff's, using his own personal memories to enforce the emotive narrative of his tracks. And 'the van' is no different. For it's not simply the recollections of a touring artist, but in actuality, the collective search to escape loneliness. The van in question is simply the vehicle in getting one step closer to connection.
'the van' is warm with fond recollections of touring, from the fluorescent lights of convenience stores to the closeness of compacting in to a tour van, all guided by nostalgia. This familiarity also follows the instrumentals of the track. The gang vocals that feel like close friends, the roomy drums, and a touch of harmonica; it's all the signature flourishes allowed to run free. Combined, it has the breezy, easy feel of a lived-in memory, relived through the crackling image of an old camera.
The images of "Wawa lights in the rearview mirror" and the loneliness of your own shadow create an overwhelming wistfulness that makes this one of Bleachers' most brutally honest tracks yet.
'everyone for ten minutes' is out May 22 via Dirty Hit.
Megan-Louise Burnham
Image: Alex Lockett