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''How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?'' is the second studio album by American indie duo
Big Red Machine The Big Red Machine is a nickname for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team that dominated the National League from 1970 to 1979 and is widely recognized as being among the best in baseball history. The team won six National League West Division ti ...
, which consists of musicians
Aaron Dessner Aaron Brooking Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band the National, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums; a co-founder of the indie ...
and
Justin Vernon Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the primary songwriter and frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. Known for his distinct falsetto voic ...
. It was released on August 27, 2021, via 37d03d and Jagjaguwar record labels. Dessner stated the album is built around themes of childhood, familial dynamics, and
mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...
. He cited ''
The Last Waltz ''The Last Waltz'' was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. ''The Last Waltz'' was advertised as The Band's "farewell concert a ...
'', the 1978 live album by the Band, as an inspiration for the record. The album is a collaborative effort featuring guest vocals from an array of artists–
Anaïs Mitchell Anaïs Mitchell (; born March 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright. Mitchell has released eight studio albums, including '' Hadestown'' (2010), ''Young Man in America'' (2012),
,
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
,
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes is an American indie folk band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2006. The band consists of Robin Pecknold (vocals, guitar), Skyler Skjelset (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals), Casey Wescott (keyboards, mandolin, backing vocals), ...
, Ilsey, Naeem,
Sharon Van Etten Sharon Katharine Van Etten (born February 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released six studio albums, the latest of which is '' We've Been Going About This All Wrong'' (2022). Early life Van Etten was born in Belleville, N ...
,
Lisa Hannigan Lisa Margaret Hannigan (born 12 February 1981) is an Irish musician, singer, composer, and voice actress. She began her musical career as a member of Damien Rice's band. Since beginning her solo career in 2007 she has released three albums: '' S ...
,
Shara Nova Shara Nova (previously Worden) is the lead singer and songwriter for My Brightest Diamond. As a composer she is most recognized for her choral compositions and the baroque chamber opera "You Us We All". New music composers Sarah Kirkland Snider ...
, La Force,
Ben Howard Benjamin John Howard (born 24 April 1987) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and composer. His self-released debut EP ''Games in the Dark'' (2008) was followed by two more EPs, '' These Waters'' (2009) and '' Old Pine'' (2010). Signed t ...
and This Is the Kit. Musically, the record is a mostly slow-paced pop album, consisting of
midtempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
songs led by soft pianos and guitars, as well as drawing from the
indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...
and
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
styles of Dessner and Vernon, respectively. The subject matter covered in the album includes a variety of sombre themes, such as love, loss, grief, nostalgia, reconciliation, and the odyssey of life. Five singles preceded the album: "Latter Days" featuring Mitchell, "The Ghost of Cincinnati", "
Renegade Renegade or The Renegade may refer to: Aircraft *Lake Renegade, an American amphibious aircraft design *Murphy Renegade, a Canadian ultralight biplane design *Southern Aeronautical Renegade, an American racing aircraft design Games *'' Comman ...
" featuring Swift, "Phoenix" featuring Mitchell and Fleet Foxes, and "Mimi" featuring Ilsey. Upon release, ''How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?'' was met with generally positive comments from music critics, who mostly complimented its melancholic lyrics, stylistic sound, and guest contributions, but cited its frequently monotonous instrumentation as a drawback.


Background

Big Red Machine The Big Red Machine is a nickname for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team that dominated the National League from 1970 to 1979 and is widely recognized as being among the best in baseball history. The team won six National League West Division ti ...
is an American supergroup formed by musicians
Aaron Dessner Aaron Brooking Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band the National, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums; a co-founder of the indie ...
and
Justin Vernon Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the primary songwriter and frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. Known for his distinct falsetto voic ...
in 2008. Dessner is best known as the guitarist of the American
indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...
band the National, whereas Vernon the vocalist of American indie folk band
Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, ''For Emma, Forever Ago,'' independently in July 2007. The majority of the album was recorded while Vernon ...
. Big Red Machine released their self-titled debut studio album on August 31, 2018, to positive reviews. Since ''Big Red Machine'', Dessner and Vernon have worked with
R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
's
Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Pos ...
on the track "No Time for Love Like Now" (2019), covered
Aimee Mann Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyr ...
's "Wise Up" (2020), and more. In August 2020, Bon Iver released a song called "AUATC" featuring Bruce Springsteen,
Jenny Lewis Jennifer Diane Lewis (born January 8, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She was the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley. Lewis gained prominence in the 1980s as a child a ...
, and
Jenn Wasner Jennifer Lynn Wasner (born April 16, 1986) is an American musician from Baltimore, Maryland. Wasner is best known as one of the founding members of the band Wye Oak, along with Andy Stack. They have performed on tour with notable bands such as ...
. In December 2020, Dessner revealed that American singer-songwriter
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
, who he had worked with on her eighth studio album ''
Folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
'', had written two songs, "Closure" and "
Dorothea Dorothea (also spelled Dorothée, Dorotea or other variants) is a female given name from Greek (Dōrothéa) meaning "God's Gift". It may refer to: People * Dorothea Binz (1920–1947), German concentration camp officer executed for war cr ...
", for Big Red Machine's forthcoming project. However, the songs landed on her ninth studio album, '' Evermore'', instead.


Writing and recording

Dessner described the album as a collaborative project. The collaborations are with the artists who Dessner and Vernon had been working with in 2020. Unlike its predecessor ''Big Red Machine'', which leaned heavily on Vernon's voice, ''How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?'' features an array of guest vocalists, such as Anaïs Mitchell, Taylor Swift, American indie-folk band
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes is an American indie folk band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2006. The band consists of Robin Pecknold (vocals, guitar), Skyler Skjelset (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals), Casey Wescott (keyboards, mandolin, backing vocals), ...
, American singer-songwriter Ilsey, American rapper Naeem (popularly known as Spank Rock), American singer-songwriter
Sharon Van Etten Sharon Katharine Van Etten (born February 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released six studio albums, the latest of which is '' We've Been Going About This All Wrong'' (2022). Early life Van Etten was born in Belleville, N ...
, Irish musician
Lisa Hannigan Lisa Margaret Hannigan (born 12 February 1981) is an Irish musician, singer, composer, and voice actress. She began her musical career as a member of Damien Rice's band. Since beginning her solo career in 2007 she has released three albums: '' S ...
, American musician
Shara Nova Shara Nova (previously Worden) is the lead singer and songwriter for My Brightest Diamond. As a composer she is most recognized for her choral compositions and the baroque chamber opera "You Us We All". New music composers Sarah Kirkland Snider ...
(of band
My Brightest Diamond My Brightest Diamond is the project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Shara Nova. The band has released five studio albums and a remix album, five studio EPs and four remix EPs, and made several tours across the United States. Histo ...
), La Force (solo project of Canadian
indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...
singer
Ariel Engle Ariel Engle is a Canadian indie pop singer and songwriter who records and performs as a solo artist and with Broken Social Scene. Ben Rayner, "Broken Social Scene put it back together for Hug of Thunder". ''Toronto Star'', July 5, 2017. Engle fir ...
), English singer-songwriter
Ben Howard Benjamin John Howard (born 24 April 1987) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and composer. His self-released debut EP ''Games in the Dark'' (2008) was followed by two more EPs, '' These Waters'' (2009) and '' Old Pine'' (2010). Signed t ...
, and British
folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
musician This Is The Kit; Notably, Mitchell is featured on three tracks, while Swift is on two. Dessner provided lead vocals for the first time in his career, on three tracks; they are "Magnolia", "Brycie" and "The Ghost of Cincinnati". Mitchell stated Dessner was nervous about having his own lead vocals on the songs and that she encouraged him to "absolutely" record his own, especially after his work with Swift on ''Folklore'' and ''Evermore'', Mitchel felt that it is "nice to have people get a look behind that curtain, to get to know the person who's behind a bunch of this stuff." "The Ghost of Cincinnati" was a song that Dessner had meant for Swift's project, but she convinced him it fit Big Red Machine's record more. It was inspired by a screenplay called ''Dandelion'' by filmmaker Nicole Riegel, who also co-wrote the lyrics. Dessner said the song is about "someone who feels like a ghost, stalking the streets of their hometown, interrogating the past and contemplating their fate". "Brycie" is one of the first songs Dessner wrote for the album. He wrote it to express gratitude to his twin brother and National bandmate,
Bryce Dessner Bryce David Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American composer and guitarist based in Paris, as well as a member of the rock band the National. Dessner's twin brother Aaron is also a member of the group. Together they write the music, in coll ...
, who "saw him through bouts of depression". Much of the album was recorded at Dessner's Long Pond Studio in Hudson Valley, New York, from 2018 through 2021. The collaborations with Swift, "Birch" and "Renegade", were recorded at her
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
in-home studio, Kitty Committee, in the same week they had won the Album of the Year for ''Folklore'' at the
63rd Annual Grammy Awards The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from September 1, 201 ...
. Dessner stated that Swift was "very helpful and engaged" with the band throughout the recording process. Many of the album's tracks were tested on-road at Big Red Machine concerts around the world, including "Easy To Sabotage" and "Reese". Dessner stated he was using the project "to really try different things, and find the connection between my different impulses". "Phoenix" was one of the last songs written for the album. Vernon first conceived the melody of the song's chorus while driving, and Dessner forwarded its sketch to American singer-songwriter
Robin Pecknold Robin Noel Pecknold (born March 30, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter, who serves as the principal songwriter and vocalist for indie folk band Fleet Foxes, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. He is known for his distinct bariteno ...
, the vocalist of Fleet Foxes, whom Dessner had been "dreaming" to collaborate on the album. Nico Lang and Pecknold wrote the song's verses and
pre-chorus Song structure is the arrangement of a song, and is a part of the songwriting process. It is typically sectional, which uses repeating forms in songs. Common forms include bar form, 32-bar form, verse–chorus form, ternary form, strophic form, and ...
in form of a dialogue with Vernon, recalling a conversation Pecknold and Vernon once had backstage in
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...
. Mitchell penned the lyrics to the chorus, with drums by JT Bates. "Mimi" was written by Dessner, Vernon, and Ilsey in isolation, inspired by the former's gratitude towards his children. James Krivchenia provided the drums in the song. Dessner said that he viewed ''How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?'' as a version of ''
The Last Waltz ''The Last Waltz'' was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. ''The Last Waltz'' was advertised as The Band's "farewell concert a ...
'', the 1978 album by Canadian rock band the Band. For its instrumentation, he took cues the Band, and American rock band Grateful Dead as well. The orchestrations of ''How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?'' were composed by Bryce Dessner.


Promotion and release

On June 27, 2021, a cryptic video teaser was posted to Big Red Machine's social media accounts. It featured layered, multi-colored visuals, depicting Vernon and Dessner, and shots of Swift's handwriting. Two days later, the band announced their second studio album, titled ''How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?'', would be released on August 27, 2021, by the band's own record label 37D03D and American independent label Jagjaguwar. The band also revealed the cover artwork and the track listing. The digital, CD,
vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
and
cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...
versions of the album were made available for
pre-order A pre-order is an order placed for an item that has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came because people found it hard to get popular items in stores because of their popularity. Companies then had the idea to allow customers to r ...
. On August 9, 2021, Dessner was interviewed by Elton John on
Apple Music 1 Apple Music 1, previously branded as Beats 1, is a 24/7 music radio station owned and operated by Apple Inc. It is accessible through iTunes or the Apple Music app on a computer, smartphone or tablet, smart speaker (such as the Apple HomePod) ...
about ''How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?'' On August 10, 2021, Big Red Machine, Mitchell, and Pecknold performed "Phoenix", and debuted the track "New Auburn" live on ''
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second ...
.'' An interview of Dessner by music journalist
Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' on August 19, 2021, in which Dessner explained the album's making.


Singles

"Latter Days" featuring American singer-songwriter
Anaïs Mitchell Anaïs Mitchell (; born March 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright. Mitchell has released eight studio albums, including '' Hadestown'' (2010), ''Young Man in America'' (2012),
was launched as the first
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
from the album, a song Vernon had debuted live in October 2020 during a ''Visit With Vernon'' live session. Dessner stated, "It was clear to Anaïs that the early sketch Justin and I made of 'Latter Days' was about childhood, or loss of innocence and nostalgia for a time before you've grown into adulthood — before you've hurt people or lost people and made mistakes. She defined the whole record when she sang that, as these same themes kept appearing again and again." "The Ghost of Cincinnati" was released as the next single on June 30, 2021. "Renegade", featuring Swift, was released on July 2, 2021, as the third single from the album. It was serviced to U.S.
adult album alternative Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, 2 ...
radio the same day, and the
adult contemporary radio Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet s ...
on July 12, 2021. "Renegade" marked Big Red Machine's first entry on various
record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...
s around the globe. In the United States, the song arrived at number 73 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number seven on the ''Billboard'' Alternative Songs chart, and topped the Alternative Digital Songs Sales chart. "Phoenix", featuring Mitchell and
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes is an American indie folk band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2006. The band consists of Robin Pecknold (vocals, guitar), Skyler Skjelset (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals), Casey Wescott (keyboards, mandolin, backing vocals), ...
, impacted U.S. adult album alternative radio on August 2, 2021, as the fourth single. "Mimi", featuring Ilsey, was released on August 5, 2021, as the next single.


Title and artwork

Swift suggested the lyric written by Mitchell, "How long do you think it's gonna last?", in the track "Latter Days", as the title for the album. The promotional photos for the album were shot and edited by photographer Graham Tolbert. The cover artwork is an edited "
preschool A preschool, also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, or play school or creche, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary sch ...
-era" photograph of Aaron and Bryce Dessner, and their sister Jessica from their visit to their grandmother Stella's
nursing home A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to i ...
in 1980. Aaron Dessner explained that his grandmother was the first person the siblings had lost to death, and that "somehow it felt fitting" to put her and themselves in the album cover.


Music and lyrics

''How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?'' centers on themes of childhood, family dynamics, mental health, friends, love, break-ups, reconciliation, grief, wistful nostalgia, regret, among others. Musically, the album is a pop record, consisting of songs generally set to slower tempos. It incorporates
indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...
styles and glitchy
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
elements. Driven by soft pianos and guitars, its tracks are characterized by their traditional
song structure Song structure is the arrangement of a song, and is a part of the songwriting process. It is typically sectional, which uses repeating forms in songs. Common forms include bar form, 32-bar form, verse–chorus form, ternary form, strophic form, and ...
s and fully "fleshed-out" arrangements. It consists of 15 tracks, nine of which feature vocals from guest acts. "Latter Days" is a piano ballad with an atmospheric texture, in which Mitchell's voice melds with Vernon's falsetto. "Reese" is a piano-led,
folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
tune. "Birch" is a "
jazzy Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major f ...
" duet between Swift and Vernon. It is a stripped-back song driven by a piano. "Renegade" features Swift's lead vocals, and discusses the role of fear and anxiety in love. "Phoenix" is a country rock song, titled after
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...
. "The Ghost of Cincinnati" is an acoustic tune, completely sung by Dessner. It is about
introspection Introspection is the examination of one's own conscious thoughts and feelings. In psychology, the process of introspection relies on the observation of one's mental state, while in a spiritual context it may refer to the examination of one's sou ...
and
contemplation In a religious context, the practice of contemplation seeks a direct awareness of the divine which transcends the intellect, often in accordance with prayer or meditation. Etymology The word ''contemplation'' is derived from the Latin word ' ...
of past while taking a stroll through hometown like ghost haunting the streets. "Mimi" is titled after Dessner's youngest daughter. "Easy to Sabotage" incorporates recordings of its live performances at two different shows in New York, and makes use of
auto-tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...
. It features improvised "semi- raps" from Vernon and Naeem over rough drums. "Hutch", featuring "haunting" harmonies by Van Etten, Hannigan and Nova, is a tribute to late
Frightened Rabbit Frightened Rabbit were a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, formed in 2003. Initially a solo project for vocalist and guitarist Scott Hutchison, the final lineup of the band consisted of Hutchison, his brother Grant (drums), Billy Kennedy ...
frontman
Scott Hutchison Scott John Hutchison (20 November 1981 – 9 May 2018) was a Scottish singer, songwriter, guitarist and artist. He was the founding member and primary songwriter of the indie rock band Frightened Rabbit, with whom he recorded five studio albums ...
, a close friend of Aaron Dessner. "June's a River" is a
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...
love song, blending vocals from Howard and This Is The Kit in "lush harmony". A tribute to Bryce Dessner, "Brycie" begins with
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...
guitars and grows into a patchwork of organic and synthetic sounds behind Aaron Dessner's gentle vocals. The closing track, "New Auburn", is set in Wisconsin, having its narrator reminisce over childhood road trips.


Critical reception

''How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?'' received positive reviews upon release. At
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, the album received a score of 76 out of 100 based on fifteen reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Ian Gormely of '' Exclaim!'' dubbed the album a "masterclass" in production, and an "austere collection" of songs successfully blending Vernon's fondness for
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
with Dessner's guitar and piano compositions. ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' critic Elizabeth Audrey wrote the album's lyrics encompass "the full range of human emotion", while its music takes a braver direction than Big Red Machine's debut record.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
Marcy Donelson described ''How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?'' as a mellow, poignant, and immersive collection of songs adhering to "a dreamy, wistful, midtempo universe", seeing guest vocalists "float in and out of duets." Sputnikmusic said ''How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last?'' is an experiment that could have failed, "drowned under the weight of its expectations and indie-sphere clout before it had a chance to breathe", but the sheer flair of Vernon-Dessner collaboration "makes it soar instead." Sean Kerwick of ''
DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
'' commented "there's a terrific bounty to be enjoyed in the centre of the Vernon-Dessner
Venn diagram A Venn diagram is a widely used diagram style that shows the logical relation between sets, popularized by John Venn (1834–1923) in the 1880s. The diagrams are used to teach elementary set theory, and to illustrate simple set relationships ...
", appreciating their chemistry and guest singers' contributions. Jeremy Winograd of ''
Slant Slant can refer to: Bias *Bias or other non-objectivity in journalism, politics, academia or other fields Technical * Slant range, in telecommunications, the line-of-sight distance between two points which are not at the same level * Slant d ...
'' stated the album is a "somber affair" like much of Dessner's works, but the guest vocalists and songwriting collaborators help the record reach "a much broader musical palette." ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'' critic Hannah Jocelyn dubbed it a solid record with a pleasant tone, but not a very innovative one for the band's discography, highlighting the presence of Dessner's "repetitive" piano chords in nearly all of its tracks. Music journalist Alexis Petridis expressed a slightly mixed opinion in his review on ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''. He admired Dessner's voice and called it the "most striking" amongst all of the featured vocalists, but stated the album feels longer than it is, due to its static tone, and some tracks more sentimental than they need to be.


Track listing

Adapted from
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
and
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
.


Note

* signifies an additional producer


Personnel

Adapted from YouTube description and Genius credits. *
Aaron Dessner Aaron Brooking Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band the National, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums; a co-founder of the indie ...
– bass guitar , drum machine programming , piano , acoustic guitar , OP-1 , electric guitar , shaker , synth , high strung guitar , vocals , upright piano , rubber bridge guitar , synthesizer , other guitar , synth bass , bass drum , clack , Prophet X , Mellotron , sequencer , snare , tambourine , kick drum , cymbal *
Justin Vernon Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the primary songwriter and frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. Known for his distinct falsetto voic ...
– vocals , electric guitar , Mellotron , whistling , synth , Messina *
Bryce Dessner Bryce David Dessner (born April 23, 1976) is an American composer and guitarist based in Paris, as well as a member of the rock band the National. Dessner's twin brother Aaron is also a member of the group. Together they write the music, in coll ...
– orchestration , electric guitar , acoustic guitar *
James Krivchenia Big Thief is an American indie rock band with folk roots based in Brooklyn, New York. Its members are Adrianne Lenker (guitar, vocals), Buck Meek (guitar, backing vocals), Max Oleartchik (bass), and James Krivchenia (drums). The band's debu ...
– drums * JT Bates – drums *
Brad Cook Bradley J. Cook is an American historian and academic administrator serving as the 17th president of Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. Early life and education Cook is a native of central Utah. After earning an associate degree from Snow College, ...
– Mellotron , bass guitar , ebow bass , synth *
Anaïs Mitchell Anaïs Mitchell (; born March 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright. Mitchell has released eight studio albums, including '' Hadestown'' (2010), ''Young Man in America'' (2012),
– vocals *
Michael Lewis Michael Monroe Lewis (born October 15, 1960) Gale Biography In Context. is an American author and financial journalist. He has also been a contributing editor to ''Vanity Fair'' since 2009, writing mostly on business, finance, and economics. He ...
– saxophone *
Lisa Hannigan Lisa Margaret Hannigan (born 12 February 1981) is an Irish musician, singer, composer, and voice actress. She began her musical career as a member of Damien Rice's band. Since beginning her solo career in 2007 she has released three albums: '' S ...
– vocals *Yuki Numata Resnick – violin , viola *
Jason Treuting Sō Percussion is an American percussion quartet formed in 1999 and based in New York City. Composed of Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, Jason Treuting, and Eric Cha-Beach, the group is well known for recording and touring internationally and for th ...
– drums *Dave Nelson – trombone , trumpet *
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
– vocals , songwriting * Thomas Bartlett – piano , Prophet X , ELZ_1 Synthesizer , synthesizer , synth , Mellotron * Benjamin Lanz – modular synthesizer , synthesizer *
Bryan Devendorf Bryan Devendorf is an American drummer. He is best known as a founding member of the indie rock band The National, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums. Devendorf is also a member of the experimental rock bands Pfarmers and LNZNDRF. In ...
– drum machine programming *
Andrew Broder Andrew Broder (April 16, 1845 – January 4, 1918) was an Ontario farmer, merchant and political figure. He represented Dundas in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1875 to 1886 and in the House of Commons of Canada from 1896 to 1911 as ...
– synthesizer *
Robin Pecknold Robin Noel Pecknold (born March 30, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter, who serves as the principal songwriter and vocalist for indie folk band Fleet Foxes, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. He is known for his distinct bariteno ...
– vocals , Mellotron , piano *Andy Clausen – trombone *Willem de Koch – trombone *Riley Mulherkar – trombone *Chloe Rowlands – trombone * Ryan Olson – Allovers Hi-Hat Generator * Kyle Resnick – flugelhorn *
S. Carey Sean Carey is an American musician from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, best known as the drummer and supporting vocalist of indie folk band Bon Iver. In August 2010, Carey released his first solo album, '' All We Grow'', which he began working on in 2 ...
– Prophet X *
Ilsey Juber Ilsey Anna Juber (born April 17, 1986) is an American singer and songwriter from California. Juber co-wrote Mark Ronson's "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" feat. Miley Cyrus, along with much of Ronson’s ''Late Night Feelings'' album with vocals ...
– vocals * Naeem – vocals *
Sharon Van Etten Sharon Katharine Van Etten (born February 26, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released six studio albums, the latest of which is '' We've Been Going About This All Wrong'' (2022). Early life Van Etten was born in Belleville, N ...
– vocals *
Shara Nova Shara Nova (previously Worden) is the lead singer and songwriter for My Brightest Diamond. As a composer she is most recognized for her choral compositions and the baroque chamber opera "You Us We All". New music composers Sarah Kirkland Snider ...
– vocals *
Ariel Engle Ariel Engle is a Canadian indie pop singer and songwriter who records and performs as a solo artist and with Broken Social Scene. Ben Rayner, "Broken Social Scene put it back together for Hug of Thunder". ''Toronto Star'', July 5, 2017. Engle fir ...
– vocals * This Is the Kit – vocals *
Ben Howard Benjamin John Howard (born 24 April 1987) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and composer. His self-released debut EP ''Games in the Dark'' (2008) was followed by two more EPs, '' These Waters'' (2009) and '' Old Pine'' (2010). Signed t ...
– vocals *James McAlister – electronic drums


Charts


References

{{Authority control 2021 albums Big Red Machine (band) albums Jagjaguwar albums Albums produced by Aaron Dessner Pop albums by American artists