New Politics share the power and depth of their fifth album

Following their 2017 major-label release, Lost In Translation, featuring Rivers Cuomo on “Tell Your Dad,” New Politics are back with An Invitation To An Alternate Reality. The group exclusively chatted with AltPress on their latest album to discuss each track individually. 

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You can listen to New Politics’ An Invitation To An Alternate Reality in full below.

1. “Unstoppable”

The song serves as a primer so we all know that we have power. No matter what comes our way, we are “Unstoppable.” Also knowing anything is possible and reminding ourselves of the confidence we tend to hide sometimes.  

2. “Bad For Me”

This song touches on how our feelings create the self-talk in our heads. In those moments where negativity and self-doubt show its ugly face to us internally, we begin to think that maybe we are wrong for the person we love. Or maybe we are doing things wrong for ourselves. Or maybe it’s both?

3. “Ozone”

This song is the epitome of hope, facing challenges but always feeling them slightly out of reach. We all romanticize about the idea of space and how simple and easy things would be if we could start over. We see it every time we look up and feel it slightly out of reach. 

4. “Live The Life/It’s The Thought That Counts”

This song is about self-doubt and pondering about what’s out there in the world. It reminds us that we want to live the life we love and love the life we live. It touches on what “love” does to us and how it turns our world into one of absolutes. Just as things are getting tough, the universe has someone we love, someone we can reach out to and someone to check on us, but we don’t always take the call. 

5. “Suspension”

After dwelling on what it is we think we want, our thoughts tend to dive deeper into a world of good and bad, the devil and angel. Maybe we will never get what we are looking for. It is that internal dialogue that influences the back-and-forth for our everyday lives.  

6. “Let Your Head Go/Pretend It’s 1995 & Talk”

This is all about being able to stop and shut off your brain and turn the noise off. No texts, emails, DMs or other “digital noise” that can distract you. Just pretend like it’s the ’90s and have a conversation with people.

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7. “Therapy”

This is the phase where we are on the path to recovery. Once we have an idea about what’s ahead, we need to know it’s a constant work in progress so we avoid the highs and lows. The song sonically hits the metaphor as well, with minimal-sounding verses and high-energy choruses. 

8. “Death Of Me”

This is all about understanding the reality of what’s to come and no longer fighting against it. Accepting life while also knowing plenty will happen in between, so you have to go with the flow.

9. “Wish You Well/…Can’t Explain”

This is a metaphor for how once we feel clear-minded, we still battle negative thoughts and feelings on a daily basis. Always being positive isn’t easy, and we want to go down the negative rabbit holes every now and then, hence the frenetic beginning into a light ending. It’s not something that can be explained, but we feel all these things no matter how much work we do, and we know the journey is only beginning, and there’s a beautiful truth in that journey and struggle that becomes meaningful and hopeful. And that might just be the essence of love itself.