Late Checkout out August 21 via Carpark Records
Mississippi-born and Los Angeles-based artist Dent May recently announced his new album, Late Checkout, out later this month via Carpark. Following the album’s first two singles “I Could Use A Miracle” and “Sea Salt & Caramel,” a groovy single “Easier Said Than Done” is out today.
The track is decorated with bright keys and syncopated drums while May sings about coming to the end of his journey to find love. “‘Easier Said Than Done’ is about searching for love with no luck and finally finding it after a lifetime of waiting,” he says.
“This one was a lot of fun to record, with Andres Renteria (Jose Gonzalez, Weyes Blood) on the bongos and congas and Joachim Polack (Pearl & The Oysters) on the Fender Rhodes. I was listening to a lot of Brazilian funk when I wrote it.”
Listen to the song now HERE. Dent May’s fifth record and first new material in three years, Late Checkout will be released on August 21 via Carpark Records.
Known for shepherding a kind of classic American songwriting into the age of bedroom recording, May steps out of his home studio for the first time on Late Checkout, and steps into his very own Honeymoon Suite Recording Studio. The Los Angeles studio, co-owned and built with May’s friends Pat Jones and Michael Rosen, is where May crafted the dozen timeless melodies, expansive arrangements, and illustrative lyrics on this stunning new record.
This album shows May grappling with swinging emotions of our contemporary reality with a rare optimism and distinguished sound. The un-nostalgic sentiment and sobering clarity of May’s latest body of work takes a reflective rest-stop on the winding road of his now decade-long career. Pre-order the album now HERE.
Tracklisting:
1. Hotel Stationery
2. I Could Use A Miracle
3.Didn’t Get The Invite
4. Sea Salt & Caramel
5. Bungalow Heaven
6. Bless Your Heart
7. Full Speed Ahead
8. Easier Said Than Done
9. L.A. River
10. Imagination
11. Pour Another Round
12. Late Checkout
Dent May is soaking it in and taking his time on his new LP Late Checkout. Contrary to the instant gratification permitted by modern home-recording, May made a conscious decision to slow down and pay careful attention to his songwriting on this album. He began to savor the minutiae of his daily life spent wandering around LA, not getting invited to hang with friends, and waking up in hotel rooms after DJing weddings. May drew on these moments in his lyrics and began assembling ballads at his new studio, mimicking the bittersweet tone and consistent work ethic of Motown.
Bearing the torch of classic American songwriters that have inspired him like Harry Nilsson, Carole King, and Randy Newman, Dent May has gingerly cultivated his iPhone note scribbles and subconscious melodies into songs that could stand the test of time. Leaving the comfort of home-recording for the first time, May set out to elevate the production quality on Late Checkout while maintaining some intimacy through sparse arrangements. After writing and performing parts for a bulk of the instruments on the album, May filled out his orchestrations by inviting string players, a horn section, background vocalists, and a pair of auxiliary drummers to play on the album.
From beginning to end, May bares his soul on each track across Late Checkout, offering a reluctant goodbye to his former selves, before wandering home.
