Ben Kweller has announced the release of a new album Cover The Mirrors. This will be the first album he has released since the death of his 16- year old son, Dorian Zev. The album is set to release on what would be Dorian’s 19th birthday. This will be Kweller’s 7th studio album and along with the exciting announcement he has also released the lead single of the album, “Optimystic.”
Kweller commented on the album in a press release saying, “This is the most personal, emotionally raw project I’ve ever worked on. When Dorian died in 2023 I was overcome with the need to make music. I didn’t care what came out of me because it was the only way I could find peace in my earth-shattering grief. It’s hard not to focus on everything I’ve lost and in the depths of my sorrow I realized that something was gained. I can only describe it as an additional layer in the spectrum of understanding. My highs are higher and my lows are lower. My love is deeper and my calling is stronger. Cover The Mirrors is helping me cope with my new reality and these songs are part of that journey.” The album is highly anticipated as it gives more fans a deeper understanding of Kweller along with an album that can help fans overcome their own grief.
The lead song, “Optimystic,” is extremely raw and paves the path for Cover The Mirrors.The opening lines to the song, “I need to get a grip on what’s happening around me/I need to take a dip in the Pool of Tranquility/I lock myself away alone inside the bedroom/It’s easy breezy can’t’ ya please me with the head gloom straight to.” These upsetting lyrics speak about the immediate effect that grief lays upon your body. The tempo is upbeat and fast which is a contrast to the depressing lyrics. The chorus for the song goes as, “Happiness. Wanna die. Death Kiss. Get High/Stay High. Lose your heart in the heart of a junkyard/Wow! I’m not optimystic now, I’m not optimystic now,” which plays on the song’s title. Fans are excited to see where Kweller’s creativity takes him for the album.
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