Thats The Price of Loving Me: Clear Vinyl LP

Thats the Price of Loving Memarks Dean Warehams (Galaxie 500, Luna, Dean & Britta, ) evocative return, rekindling his partnership with producer Kramer for the first time since Galaxie 500’sThis Is Our Musicin 1990.
Recorded in six days in Los Angeles, the album is steeped in lush, haunting soundscapes, driven by Wareham’s signature reverb-soaked guitars and melancholic, dreamlike vocals. Britta Phillips joins on bass and harmonies, while Gabe Noels cello adds depth and tension. Two takes yield more treasure than twenty, notes longtime friend Matt Fishbeck, as Kramer’s insistence on spontaneity infuses the project with raw immediacy.
Thematically, Wareham delves into the poetry of memory, set against a backdrop of wistful nostalgia and existential reflection. “Songs are in dialogue with other songs” Fishbeck writes. The lead single, Were Not Finished Yet, is a playful, introspective meditation where Wareham drops his own name while relishing the tactile joy of the guitar. You Were the Ones I Had to Betray unfolds like a somber narrative, underpinned by Noels cello and crowned with a haunting bass harmonica by Kramer, encapsulating the emotional ambivalence of friendship and loyalty.
Thats the Price of Loving Me pulses with conga rhythms and Kramers vintage Moog, capturing Warehams musings on the life of a performer and the sacrifices it demands. Fishbeck describes The Mystery Guest as “an acrostic poem” and concludes by saying “We’re not finished yet.” ‘Loving Me’ also includes two covers, Mayo Thompson’s ‘Dear Betty Baby’ and Nico’s ‘Reich der Trume.’ The latter highlights his love for blending history and homage, sung entirely in German for a chillingly authentic touch.Dean returns with his fourth solo album and his first album for Carpark Records. Inspired by the past yet resonant in its present-day relevance, the albums sonic palette is reminiscent of Galaxie 500s dream-pop roots, tempered with the matured introspection of Warehams later works. Dean traffics in memory, writes Fishbeck, reflecting on the records seamless blend of intimate recollections and catchy hooks. The result is a cohesive work encapsulating the duality of Warehams career: haunted by the past, yet steadfastly pushing forward. As Fishbeck poignantly puts it, Imagination is nothing but the working over of what is remembered.
Tracklisting
Side A
1. You Were the Ones I Had to Betray2. Dear Betty Baby 3. Mystery Guest 4. New World Julie 5. We’re Not Finished Yet
Side B
6. Bourgeois Manqu 7. Yesterday’s Hero 8. That’s the Price of Loving Me 9. Reich der Trume 10. The Cloud is Coming