Nation Of Language – “Deliver Me From Wondering Why”

Elena Gutierrez & Penina Warren

Nation Of Language – “Deliver Me From Wondering Why”

Elena Gutierrez & Penina Warren

Nation Of Language’s Introduction, Presence was a hell of a debut, landing on our list of the best albums of 2020. It doesn’t seem like they’re going to be resting on the achievements of that album for very long though. Back in November, around election week, the band released the standalone single “A Different Kind Of Life.” On socials, they’ve been teasing new material on the horizon with little snapshots from the studio. And today, we get to hear another new track from them.

NOL are back with a song called “Deliver Me From Wondering Why.” Here’s what frontman Ian Devaney had to say about it:

“Deliver Me From Wondering Why” is a bit of an exploration, rooted in a desire for something repetitious and a bit spacey — something that would make you really want to zone out or go for a long drive on the highway. (Ideally not at the same time.) We worked on it with Nick Millhiser (Holy Ghost!) and it was just a really fun exercise in letting the track carry us wherever it was going to go. The backbone of the steady synth arpeggios and rhythms just leads endlessly forward and lets the mind wander around it.

“Deliver Me From Wondering Why” finds NOL going in a slightly new direction. While the band is still rooted in classic new wave, it’s almost like they’ve delved further back in time for this one. “Deliver Me From Wondering Why” has all manner of sputtering computer blips and laser burts and icy waves, in a way calling back to the late ’70s era of a more primitive synth-pop, before new wave fully came into focus. If this is a harbinger of things to come, it’s exciting to imagine where they might take a blearier, spacier version of their sound. Check it out below.

“Deliver Me From Wondering Why” will be available on a limited edition single with “A Different Kind Of Life.” Pre-order it here.

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