For Ex Cops’ new album, Daggers, the Brooklyn-based duo traded the sweet, lo-fi jangle of 2013’s True Hallucinations for a more ambitious, full-bodied alt pop. Executive produced by Billy Corgan, the album has already yielded the arena-ready single “Black Soap”. Now, the pair team up with indie pop weirdo-statesman Ariel Pink for a brand new track entitled “Tragically Alright”.
Like its predecessor, this latest single is marked by sleek studio flourishes; however, where “Black Soap” was more of shoegaze-tinged alt rock screamer, “Tragically Alright” is much more subdued, with the distinct feel of a soft rock ballad. There’s lilting pianos, woozy harmonies, numerous lines about “the tears of a clown”, and some finely-tuned pop melodies. It’s one of the moodier tracks on Daggers, but it’s also one of the prettiest.
In a statement, the band’s Amalie Bruun explains how the collaboration came about:
We went to LA to finish our record with [producer] Justin Raisen, and one day Ariel Pink came by the studio. We ended up writing two songs with him, one of which is “Tragically Alright.” We had quite a rough winter, Amalie in Denmark and Brian in Upstate NY, and when we arrived to LA our hotel was called “The Vagabond Inn”. We thought it was some sort of ironic name for a nice hotel, but it was quite a literal / accurate name. So when we wrote “Tragically Alright” it became a bit of a reflection of our state of minds at that exact time. Ariel invited his friend Don Bolles (drummer of The Germs) to come by and say hi and not only did he stay the whole day, he ended up singing the Beach Boys-esque backing vocals to the track.
Listen in below (via Pitchfork).
Daggers is due to hit stores on October 28th via Downtown Records.
The band has also announced a North American tour opening up for Dum Dum Girls. The month-long jaunt begins in Salt Lake City and wraps up in Pioneertown, California. Check their full schedule below.
Ex Cops 2014 Tour Dates:
10/17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot *
10/19 – Denver, CO @ The Larimer Lounge *
10/20 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room *
10/22 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line *
10/23 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon *
10/24 – Chicago, IL @ Metro *
10/25 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick *
10/26 – Toronto, ON @ The Opera House *
10/28 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair *
10/30 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl *
11/01 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat *
11/02 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern *
11/03 – Raleigh, NC @ Kings *
11/05 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl *
11/07 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada *
11/11 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sister *
11/12 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress *
11/13 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom *
11/15 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriets’ *
* with Dum Dum Girls
