Ben De La Cour - New Roses

Released June 6, 2025, New Roses is Ben de la Cour’s sixth album, and arguably his most personal. He plays nearly every instrument himself, with only sparse accompaniment—Billy Contreras on violin and a ghostly brass section.

The album opens with the haunting “I Must Be Lonely,” blending ominous synths, slow percussion, and ethereal backing vocals from Gin Wife. “The Devil Went Down to Silverlake” follows, a dark reimagining of Charlie Daniels' classic with snarling fiddle and Elizabeth Cook’s vocals. “Bad Star” shifts the mood with mournful lap steel and harmonica, tracing a slow descent into shadow.

From the snarling riffs of “Beautiful Day” to the heartbreaking nostalgia of “We Were Young Together Once,” each track cuts deep. “Christina” stuns in just two minutes, “Jukebox Heart” roars with glam-rock grit, and “Stuart Little Killed God (on 2nd Ave)” spins surreal poetry into song. The cover of Leon Payne’s “Lost Highway” becomes an electrified nightmare, before closing with the tender, acoustic title track “New Roses.”