Ben Trickey - We Are Not Lucky We Are Blessed (2021)

Over the past decade, Ben Trickey has continually reaffirmed his status as one of the most masterful songwriters in Atlanta. His forthcoming LP We Are Not Lucky We Are Blessed is a turn away from the goth-y atmospheric sound of 2017’s Horizon Line Fires in favor of something far more spare and plaintive. On new single “I Don’t Wanna Dance,” Trickey puts his songwriting first, showcasing his expert storytelling and cut-you-to-the-bone voice.

Beginning with a delicate chord progression, the narrative references the Cliffs of Moher, New Mexico’s Bottomless Lakes State Park, New York City, and Folly Beach Pier. Amidst those sprawling landmarks, Trickey sings about last songs, final chapters, and phases of transition behind the lulling strum of a mournful walking blues. Whatever name you give it, there’s a profound sense of emptiness and buried hope throughout the song, somewhere between a deathbed confessional and a funeral remembrance. Indeed, it’s a celebration of all endings. Perhaps Trickey sums it up the best here, singing, “I don’t want to dance / if I can’t dance slow.”

We Are Not Lucky We Are Blessed was recorded and produced by Trickey and his band during quarantine. It’s a powerful and somber record about apocalyptic anxiety, loss, addiction, and longing bursting out from the edges of the mundane.