Cate Le Bon occupies the familiar yet newly charged emotional space of her new single "Always The Same," a deeply woven collaboration featuring American singer-songwriter St. Vincent. Written and produced by Le Bon, with additional production by Samur Khouja, the song is designed to sound intimate. "Always The Same" also falls just beyond the album constraints and requires a little more elbow room. And while the track is akin to Michelangelo's Dying Song cycle, it stands out as a stand-alone piece, delivering the same creative exhalation while following its own emotional path. There's a residue of motion here, ideas that are warm to the touch, not already over-polished or hemmed in."Always The Same" is especially resonant because, beyond the magnetic force of a St. Vincent feature that isn't chasing the spotlight as much as it's committing to its gravitational pull. Le Bon has a deeply personal interpretation of the collaboration, describing it, on one level, as a band founded by a close friend and mighty artist, St. Vincent, who brings composure and gravitas to their shared space. The contrast is the thing: St. Vincent's poise riding alongside Le Bon's fidgety emotional churn, kicking around in the dirty waters of love."
In place of smoothing over those muddled feelings, "Always The Same" leans in to them. It's reflective without becoming bloodless, tender without losing bite. The collaboration is less an intersection of two names than a shared emotional space, one in which trust allows both artists to dwell momentarily in their parts. "Always The Same" is special because it doesn't try to do everything at once. It's a snapshot of something held mid-formation, full of feeling, buttressed by friendship, and moored by two artists hesitant to let complexity slip away.
Connect with Cate Le Bon on Instagram