Track by Track is a recurring feature series in which artists guide readers through every song on their latest release. Today, Palehound’s El Kempner takes us through their new LP, Eye on the Bat.
Indie rock outfit Palehound has returned today (July 14th) with their latest album, Eye on the Bat. Fronted by singer-songwriter El Kempner, the record finds Palehound as personal and wonderfully cathartic as ever.
While it’d be reductive to call Eye on the Bat a full-on breakup record, the emotional tribulations of navigating relationships give the album a striking sense of purpose. From breaking up on Independence Day to trying to let yourself trust a new person to realizing that “you are the asshole,” Kempner’s writing takes personal experiences and translates them into universally relatable tales.
“I really struggle with letting go and I’m a nostalgic person,” Kempner explains to Consequence. “A breakup really challenged that part of me and I needed to channel that anxiety into something.”
Such anxieties are set to an indie rock backdrop that spans from explosive (“The Clutch”) to ominous (“My Evil”) to melancholic and lonesome (“Fadin’”). Not only is Kempner penning some of the best lyrics of their career, but also some of their most compelling, play-on-repeat-worthy tunes. As a result, the follow-up to 2019’s Black Friday is a rock record that’s as emotionally charged as it is expressly enjoyable.
Listen to Palehound’s Eye on the Bat below, followed by Kempner’s Track by Track breakdown of the album.
This fall, Palehound will head out on a US tour in support of the record. See the full list of dates here, and get your tickets here.