World class singer-songwriter Eleanor Friedberger has announced that she will be releasing her new album Rebound for this upcoming May, and will follow it up with a small tour to showcase what the new album has to offer.

The new album is a work of art in an already brilliant recording career by one of the most prolific and talented artists of this era. Rebound follows Friedberger’s same recipe she used for all her past albums, teaming up with producer Clemens Knieper and bringing together melodically off-kilter, idiosyncratic mini-epics and fusing them with her plaintive, velvety alto, and Dylan-esque lyrical treatises, all of which combine into an album that joins her many other successes. Itis an entirely new sound for Eleanor, exchanging live instrumentation for programmed drums, a Juno synthesizer, and muted guitars, creating a sonic landscape where influences range from Stereolab and Suicide to Lena Platonos and Yellow Magic Orchestra.

Rebound takes plenty of inspiration from Eleanor’s time she spent in Greece a couple of years ago. Being half-Greek, she was able to immerse herself in a very personal experience and culturally moving trip. She stated “I spent most of 2016 on the road, and I needed to keep that momentum going. I had always wanted to spend more time in Greece; take Greek lessons and get to know Athens better while hopefully writing some music. After November 8, 2016 I set that loose plan into motion. While friends back home were suddenly becoming politically activated for the first time, it was exciting to be living in a city where protest marches occur on a weekly, or sometimes daily basis. I assembled a band of Greek musicians, played a few shows, learned a few more Greek words, but didn’t get much writing done. It turned out to be more of a reconnaissance mission.

She continued “After a month in Athens I asked my friend, the Greek musician Σtella, “What’s one thing I have to do before I leave?” After some long and careful consideration she smiled and said, “you have to go to Rebound. It’s a time warp; kind of an 80s goth disco where everyone does the chicken dance; you’ll love it… but it’s only open on Saturdays after 3:00 AM.” Rebound proved to be a revelation in terms of finding the sound and energy for my fourth album. The club was very dark and despite the no smoking signs, like everywhere in Athens, it was very smoky. The ‘chicken dance’ Stella mentioned was a solitary one. I copied the slouchy strut, moving back and forth in line, swinging my arms in time to the music that at first sounded like Joy Division or maybe The Cure, but never revealed itself– one could only assume it to be knock-off by an unknown Baltic band. It was alienating and exhilarating.”

Her experiences have led her to create an album that will get all her fans clamoring for more.

Photo Credit: Owen Ela