Annuals full-length followup to Be He Me also includes trees on its cover, but these look happier. They look like the happiest trees (and clouds) ever because the painting’s a Bob Ross original. You should already know about the gentle permed artiste and his Joy Of Painting PBS show without that Wikipedia link — because he’s awesome. The band explains their decision to bedeck Such Fun with one of his speedy made-on-tv landscapes:

The way that Bob made his paintings, and the way he paints in particular, is pretty similar to the way that our band makes a record. Bob Ross starts his paintings with simple little smudges and blotches, making “happy trees” or “cute little bridges,” and he seems to be having “such fun” doing it. But when it’s finished, and his blotches take form, we see that his paintings are actually intricate landscapes — layer on top of layer of what are seemingly a bunch of fun, whimsical drawings are actually quite complicated. Continuing this dichotomy, it seems like all of the happy, lovely places he paints always have a bit of sad loneliness and isolation to them too, and some of the songs on our new album can definitely relate to that duality.

Soak it up:

Here’s the album’s opener for you to take on your next hike:

• Annuals – “Confessor”Download

Such Fun is out 10/7 on Canvasback. The next day, Annuals head out on tour with Minus the Bear (and the occasional guest, where noted):

10/08 – Spokane, WA – Service Station #
10/09 – Missoula, MT – The Other Side#
10/11 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre #
10/12 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown #
10/13 – Iowa City, IA – The Picador #
10/15 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theatre #
10/16 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall #
10/17 – Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre #
10/18 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall #
10/19 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre Center #
10/20 – Cleveland Heights, OH – Grog Shop $
10/21 – Boston, MA – Wilbur Theatre
10/22 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
10/23 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
10/24 – Providence, RI – Lupo’s at the Strand
10/25 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
10/26 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
10/28 – Richmond, VA – The National
10/29 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
10/30 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
10/31 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
11/01 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
11/03 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution !
11/04 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House of Blues !
11/05 – Jacksonville, FL – Freebird Café !
11/07 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues !
11/08 – Houston, TX – House of Blues !
11/09 – Austin, TX – Waterloo Park (Fun Fun Fun Fest) !
11/10 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues !
11/12 – Santa Fe, NM – TBA
11/13 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre !
11/14 – San Diego, CA – Soma @
11/15 – Pomona, CA – Glass House @
11/16 – Los Angeles, CA – Henry Fonda Theatre @
11/18 – Sacramento, CA – Empire @
11/19 – San Francisco, CA – Bimbo’s @

# w/ Themes
$ w/ with the New Year
! w/ 27
@ w/ Helms Alee

[Photo by Autumn de Wilde]