Dean Friedman fuses pop with politics in his single and video American Lullaby — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The title track from his ninth studio album, the ambitious American Lullaby tackles four centuries of American history, from its blemished past to its tumultuous present of polarized politics, racism, sexism, and “intractable culture wars” — while maintaining a sense of optimism for the future.
“The new album, American Lullaby,” Friedman explains, “reflects my personal take on all the crazy stuff that’s been happening — both in America, and around the world — for the last six years. Like all lullabies, it’s filled with tales of dark deeds and disaster, but couched in soft, gentle tones meant to soothe and comfort the listener, while gently bracing them for the potential terrors that await.
“All these things really happened, and continue to happen,” he continues, adding that these varieties of new age events are “all exacerbated by our inane and disastrous politics.” That said, he promises the album is “not all gloom and doom. It’s filled with optimism and faith — not in any god, but in our humanity.”
Other notable tracks on the American Lullaby album include Halfway Normal World, a poignant yearning for release from perpetual lockdown; The Russians Are Coming!, a 100% factual narrative of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, the self-explanatory Welcome To Stupid Town, and Just Another Birthday Song, Friedman’s hilarious contender to replace the ubiquitous Happy Birthday.
“I’m insistent on hope, laughter and joy,” he says. “Our shared emotional trauma is palpable and requires tending to, so some serious silliness is called for. Hopefully, the full-time residents of Stupid Town can take a joke. As for Just Another Birthday Song, you can’t deny that, after 125 years, the Hill sisters have had a good run.”
Watch American Lullaby above, listen to the album below, and find Dean Friedman at his website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
