Bleachers, Everybody Lost Somebody | Track Review 🎵

Bleachers continues to build the anticipation for their sophomore album, Gone Now with its third single, “Everybody Lost Somebody.”

Bleachers – Jack Antonoff – has been on a hot streak. Ahead of a highly-anticipated sophomore album, Gone Now, the alternative band has done no wrong.  “Don’t Take the Money” kicked things off ambitiously, followed by another winner in “Hate That You Know Me”.  Keeping things hot is third single, “Everybody Lost Somebody.”  

“Everybody Lost Somebody” opens mysterious, with an interlude, coupled with excerpts of the production work, muted in the background.  This foreshadows what’s to come – a beat that hits you right in the chest, jazzy, soulful saxophones, and of course, synth action.  Expectedly, “Everybody Lost Somebody” is another production showcase for Antonoff, who is a gifted producer without question.

Vocally, Antonoff has his moments, but “Everybody Lost Somebody” is so uneven, it can’t be characterized as a truly accomplished vocal performance.  At times, he sings exhibiting his best vocal tone, while at other times, he’s more playful, with less finesse.  He also incorporates some falsetto which is intriguing, but not buttery smooth per se.  Furthermore, he incorporates some spoken word. Most interesting about this portion of the song, which occurs on the bridge, is the fact that he drops an uncharacteristic bomb:

“And there’s a reason I wake up alone in strange places
A reason I see myself in a million faces
A reason I can’t stop it all from changing
So come on, motherfucker, you survive.”

Potty-mouth Jack! But enough about referencing a mother-lover, what’s the premise of the song itself?  Essentially, the title plays true to the script.  Antonoff has gotten himself all worked up over a romance that has ended.  Some metaphors he uses are familiar, such as on the second verse when he states, “Cashed the checks I had, I didn’t own…” Ultimately, he comes to the realization that he isn’t the only person in the shape he’s in, per the chorus:

“I think pain is waiting alone at the corner
Tryna get myself back home, yeah
Looking like everybody
Knowing everybody lost somebody
I’m standing here in the cold and
I gotta get myself back home soon
Looking like everybody
Knowing everybody lost somebody.”

Final Thoughts 

All in all, “Everybody Lost Somebody” is yet another compelling piece of the Gone Now pie.  Bleachers/Jack Antonoff delivers another compelling single without question.  Is this as good as “I Wanna Get Better?” No, but it’s tough to top a modern alt-pop classic, isn’t it?  Still, Bleachers does well – really well.

Bleachers • Gone Now • RCA • Release: 6.2.17

Photo Credit: RCA