Sylvan Esso's most recent album, the glorious What Now, is just eight-and-a-half months old — certainly young enough to generate a few more singles, videos and other promotional doodads. But Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn are instead kicking off their 2018 with a new song called "PARAD(w/m)E" (pronounced "Parade With Me"), which has arrived with a shiny video of its very own in tow. Think of it as a victory lap to kick off a long year of touring humongous venues and festivals worldwide, with a quick stopover at the Grammys to see how that Best Dance/Electronic Album nomination pans out.
For all its dark undertones, "PARAD(w/m)E" conjures up a fizzy little slice of celebration, suitable for a post-apocalyptic party. As Meath highlights images of a wrecked planet — "Steamy, steamy, bright sunshine / Flowers, grass and trees all died" — Sanborn sets her words to an arrangement so playfully springy, it can't help but sound like summer fun. "There's nothing left to ruin, we finally got free," Meath sings in the chorus. "How's that for manifesting our destiny?"
The video for "PARAD(w/m)E" ratchets up the sense of celebration, as Meath and assorted dancers writhe their way through the desert before ransacking a convenience store and heading back out into the scorched world. It's a very Sylvan Esso sentiment: If we're all doomed, why not marinate in the joy we've got left?
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