Be warned: This is going to be heavy. In 2023, Dorian Zev Kweller, the 16-year-old son of the great singer-songwriter Ben Kweller, passed away in a car accident. On Friday, Ben Kweller will release Cover The Mirrors, his first album since the loss of his son. He's already shared a bunch of songs, many of which feature help from friends -- "Optimystic," "Dollar Store" with Waxahatchee, "Killer Bee" with the Flaming Lips, "Depression" with Jason Schwartzman recording under his Coconut Records alter-ego. Today, Kweller shares one more song, and it's called "Oh Dorian."
If this weren't a song where a guy sings to the child that he lost, the big news here would be that MJ Lenderman is on the new song. Lenderman is obviously a big deal and a generous collaborator. In the past few months, Lenderman has covered This Is Lorelei and Bruce Springsteen and shared his stage with NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Last week, Lenderman's old band Wednesday released their great single "Elderberry Wine," and Lenderman performed with them on Colbert even if he's not touring with them anymore. But given the context and content of this song, Lenderman's presence doesn't feel quite so important. It's nice that he's there, though.
"Oh Dorian" is a warm little choogle, and it's got Ben Kweller singing fond observations about his son. It's the sort of song that you might write for someone who's still here, right up until you get to the line "wish I could see him again." This one fucked me up. Listen below.
Cover The Mirrors is out 5/30 via Noise Company.
