BAILEN Tired Hearts Black Vinyl LP

On Tired Hearts, Daniel, David, and Julia BAILEN deliver a dazzling set of songs that navigates the space between the heart’s expectation and the head’s sober reality. At times both intricate and playful, measured and elaborate, the album’s 12 original songs wrestle with an uncertain future where ethics and morality—both communal and personal—are constantly shifting.

Produced by Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee) and BAILEN, and mixed by Lars Stalfors (Soccer Mommy, St. Vincent, Local Natives) Tired Hearts’ taut, synth-driven tracks are centered around BAILEN’s radiant harmonies and adventurous arrangements furthering the group’s exhilarating avant-pop evolution. Cook was instrumental in expanding the band’s ambition beyond what they initially envisioned. “We played the last record live a hundred times before recording it, so we tracked a lot of it live,” Daniel explains. “With Brad, we took a collagist’s approach. It freed us up to explore and be sonically adventurous.”

The album’s numerous high points include the iridescent pop of “Nothing Left to Give,” the tender hushed intimacy of “These Bones,” and the piercing, lilting title track “Tired Hearts.” The moving “BRCA (Nothing Takes Me Down),” a title derived from the breast cancer gene Julia shares with her mother (a breast cancer survivor) is indicative of the band’s incredible range. Over a slow building rhythmic pulse, Julia sings of hospital gowns and uncertainty, untying a complex knot of familial anxiety, guilt, and acceptance, while embracing the determination to move forward: I’ll still live like I’m dying/But I won’t let it take me down. “It’s about finding ways to not be defined by these circumstances, and to move past them with resilience,” she affirms. 

Known for their stunning vocals and sharp, literate songwriting, BAILEN have cultivated a passionate following and emerged in indie circles via word of mouth, robust playlisting and a stream of steady touring with artists such as Hozier, Amos Lee, The Lone Bellow, and Joseph, to name a few. The group’s acclaimed 2019 debut, Thrilled To Be Here, produced by John Congleton, has amassed over 25 million streams since its release.

Track List:

1. Tired Hearts 3:49
2. Nothing Left To Give 3:13
3. These Bones 3:54
4. Leave Me Wanting More 2:46
5. Here We Are Again 2:44
6. Call It Like It Is 3:24
7. Change Your Mind 3:19
8. Love You Blind 3:45
9. Relic 3:03
10. BRCA (Nothing Takes Me Down) 3:22
11. Shadows 4:10
12. Hiding 3:33