The COVID-19 pandemic has hit everyone in different ways. Obviously, there are those that have been infected by the virus and are dealing with health issues. But for those of us that are lucky enough to just be stuck indoors and not facing terrible health and safety concerns on a daily basis, the lockdown provides time to possibly explore different creative avenues. And for filmmaker Rick Alverson, that means going back to music, with a new song and music video from his group, Lean Year.
Lean Year’s new song, titled “Panes,” and the music video (filmed in their living room) are now available to enjoy, showing a musical side of Alverson that hasn’t been seen in a few years. “Panes” was recorded over two sessions, one in fall 2019 and the other in the early part of 2020, as the US began to feel the effects of COVID-19. The song is said to “reflect the tension between these two seasons: ostensible security and a deep fragility that’s always present, yet easily ignored.”
For those not familiar, Alverson and Emilie Rex are the members of Lean Year, an experimental folk duo. The group released its self-titled debut album in 2017 and quickly found critical acclaim. The new song shows the group specializes in music that can be described as ethereal and pop-esque. The video, which can be seen below, adds a haunting element to the song, as it shows Rex caked in white clay.
If you’re a regular reader of The Playlist, you probably know Alverson best for his work as a filmmaker. Most recently, he released “The Mountain,” which stars Jeff Goldblum and is one of our favorite films of 2019. Previous to that, the filmmaker released “Entertainment” in 2015 and “The Comedy” in 2012.
You can watch the new video for “Panes” below, and if you’re interested, you can purchase the track now.