Strange Desire and the Mystery of Love in the Music of Bleachers

"I was feeling like I never was young

Followed a dream and a strange desire

You picked me up in the dead of the night

And gave me a chance to move on inside of your mystery"

- You're Still a Mystery, Bleachers

 

In this February episode of Risking Enchantment, Matthias Conroy joins after a five year absence to talk about one of our favourite bands and albums, Strange Desire by Bleachers.

Bleachers is founded and fronted by pop producer extraordinaire Jack Antonoff. While he is most famous for his work co-writing and producing the music of Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and The 1975, Jack’s band Bleachers gives him the space to explore emotions and experiences close to his heart, namely love, grief, sorrow and hope. While in no way a Christian album, Strange Desire gives a depth of wisdom to the experience of love that gives us glimpses of divine love. Even the album’s title ‘Strange Desire’ has an almost Augustinian quality, hinting at our restless hearts yearning for the world beyond our senses. In the episode we discuss and explore the themes of the album and show how we can encounter God in unlikely places in our life and in our culture.

 

Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod

Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Phoebe Watson

The Risking Enchantment Substack account: https://riskingenchantment.substack.com/

Follow me on social media: @seekingwatson

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast

Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com

Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast

For links to the works mentioned in this podcast, visit our substack post below:

https://riskingenchantment.substack.com/p/strange-desire-and-the-mystery-of

What We’re Enjoying at the Moment:

Matthias:

David Bennet Piano - YouTube Channel

Rachel:

A Father Who Keeps His Promises by Scott Hahn