In light of Dylan’s brilliantly cutting “Ballad In Plain D” being one of my favorite breakup songs ever, tonight’s “demo”/”work in progress” from Robin Pecknold sure hits home. That said, the heart of this new tune, “Olivia, In A Separate Bed,” finds the Fleet Foxes frontman in a different place than Dylan was — there’s no bitterness here, just a lot of regret and pensive reflection on the aftermath of a year spent rigorously touring behind the band’s sophomore effort.
“I chose the love of strangers,” he confides. “I chose the fickle crowd. And the woman I wagered won’t look at me right now.” Here’s hoping this forlorn guy finds solace from his self-described “sadsack mode” soon, but in the meantime, this is some truly gorgeous stuff: