Memphis native Valerie June’s brand-new song, “Astral Plane” offers the soothing Southern comfort we all need after last night’s debate. After posting some teasers on her social media accounts hinting at a “surprise,” Thursday morning, the singer and multi-instrumentalist (she plays banjo, guitar and ukulele) released the track, along with an announcement about her forthcoming album, The Order of Time, is due out Jan 27 of next year. The record will be her fifth and a follow-up to 2013’s critically acclaimed Pushin’ Against The Stone.
Originally, the song was written for Massive Attack, but the British trip hop group turned it down, so Valerie June infused it with her unique blend of blues and Southern folk. Produced by Matt Marinelli, the soothingly beautiful “Astral Plane” almost sounds like a lullaby and incorporates keyboards, horns and pedal steel, but the vocals, which are almost painfully sweet and earnest, truly stand out and give the song its real cosmic effect.
The album will also feature collaborations with Norah Jones, with whom Valerie June is currently on tour on the West Coast. Jones will perform songs from her own new release, Day Breaks, which came out Oct. 7.
You can pre-order The Order of Time on iTunes and stream the new single below via NPR.
