Brooklyn trio Proper. have announced a new LP called The Great American Novel. Recorded and produced by Bartees Strange, the album is set for release on March 25 via Father/Daughter and Big Scary Monsters. Today’s announcement comes with the release of the new single ‘Milk and Honey’, which follows early single ‘Red, White and Blue’ and features Jer Hunter of Skatune Network/We Are the Union and backing vocals by Long Neck’s Lily Mastrodimos. Check it out below.
‘Milk and Honey’ draws from vocalist-guitarist Erik Garlington’s experience growing up in the bible belt. “You’re taught early on that having children is the ultimate end goal in lift,” he explained in a statement. “I knew from a young age that being a family man wasn’t appealing to me but it was drilled into my head I’d change my mind once I settled down. Now that I’m almost 31, it’s finally settling in for my parents that I won’t be the one to pass on our family name. There’s a mixed feeling of bitterness, relief and quite a bit of feeling selfish that comes with a conversation like that.”
According to Garlington, The Great American Novel is “a concept album about how Black genius goes ignored, is relentlessly contested, or just gets completely snuffed out before it can flourish. The record is meant to read like a book, every song is a chapter following the protagonist through their 20s. Imagine a queer, Black Holden Caulfield-type coming up in the 2010s.”
The Great American Novel Cover Artwork:
The Great American Novel Tracklist:
1. You Good
2. Shuck & Jive
3. Red, White and Blue
4. Jean
5. McConnell
6. Ganymede
7. Barbershop Interlude
8. In The Van Somewhere Outside of Birmingham
9. Juvie
10. The Routine
11. Huerta
12. Milk and Honey
13. Done Talking
14. Americana
15. Yeah… I’m Good (Epilogue)
