Philadelphia alt-country quintet Labrador have announced their second album, Hold the Door for Strangers, produced by Kyle Gilbride (Swearin’, Waxahatchee) and due out Jan. 13, 2023, via the band’s own No Way of Knowing label. Lead single “Guy with a Job (That Nobody Wants),” out now, is a hooky Americana rocker written from the perspective of a miracle worker struggling to answer the innumerable prayers in his inbox.
Vocalist and guitarist (and Paste contributor) Pat King explains in a statement:
There are so many great songs that take on the perspective of an all-powerful God up in the clouds laughing at how silly humanity is. I thought it would be a fun idea to write from the perspective of an overworked and overloaded miracle worker trying to process every single prayer that comes in, no matter how big or small. I picture it being one of those thankless gigs like working at the DMV where the person behind the desk just has to throw their hands up to say, “You know what? I’m just doing my best here!”
Labrador’s previous records, including 2018 album A Safe Distance from a Visit and 2020 EP A Car, were mostly King solo affairs, with contributions from guitarist Kris Hayes. Hold the Door for Strangers takes a full-band approach, reuniting King with Hayes and drummer (and past collaborator) Chris Arena, and bringing bassist Saysha Heinzman (Field Mouse) and violinist Grace Kim into the fold. The five-piece recorded the LP with Gilbride in a barn in the upstate “one-stoplight town” of Cambridge, New York, where King grew up.
Listen to “Guy with a Job (That Nobody Wants)” and see the details of Hold the Door for Strangers below.
Hold the Door for Strangers Art:
Hold the Door for Strangers Tracklist:
1. State Line to Eagleville
2. Mexican Beer
3. Dog Chorus
4. I Lost My Gun
5. Guy with a Job (That Nobody Wants)
6. A Runner’s Body
7. The Last Race of the Season
8. Wear It Like a Badge
9. Hold the Door for Strangers
