Big Red Machine is back with more to say, and with some impressive features along the way. Aaron Dessner, known for The National, and Justin Vernon, from the acclaimed band Bon Iver, have released their latest endeavor, “How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last” fresh off their collaborations with the renowned pop star Taylor Swift. Aaron Dessner was just awarded album of the year, along with Swift, for the album “Folklore.” It seems hard to believe that we are already getting yet another Dessner-Vernon project –– but don’t worry, they didn’t slack off. 

The album is contemplative and thoughtful. Aaron Dessner’s signature soft piano, omnipresent in the background, gives it a sad and longing feeling. The electronic beats, along with the acoustic pluckings, give it the folktronica vibe that is most closely associated with Bon Iver. Dessner makes rare vocal appearances. Vernon, as usual, has beautiful vocals throughout the album. 

“Renegade” features none other than Taylor Swift. Aaron Dessner describes the song perfectly saying, “how anxiety and fear get in the way of loving someone or, you know, create an inability for someone to love.” This sentiment is clear through the line: “Is it really your anxiety that stops you from giving me everything? / Or do you just not want to?” This relationship is far from perfect but the subjects of the song clearly need each other. 

“Phoenix” is a refreshing addition to the album and features Fleet Foxes and Anaïs Mitchell. Aaron Dessner wrote on Twitter, “I was thinking about The Band and The Grateful Dead … maybe imagining this Big Red Machine album was some version of The Last Waltz.” 

The simple strumming of the guitar and natural drums is reminiscent of soaking up the sun and going for a drive, not stopping until you feel like it, calling back Dessner’s overarching goal for the album. The chorus adds to that feeling thanks to the perfect mesh of vocals from Anaïs Mitchell and Justin Vernon. Dessner talked about Robin Pecknold, lead vocalist from Fleet Foxes, and how the lyrics came about to Apple Music. “He wrote the song essentially as a dialogue between him and Justin, recalling the only conversation they ever had in person, which was backstage at a venue in Phoenix, Arizona,” Dessner said. 

The lead single of the album, “Latter Days,” includes main vocals by Anaïs Mitchell and Justin Vernon. Vernon describes the emotions the song evokes during a performance saying, “To me I think about what it’s going to feel like in the future when we look back and we wonder if we did enough?” The song starts off with a gentle drum beat and piano chords; suddenly, there is an enigmatic whistle, reminiscent of the track “Team” from Bon Iver’s “For Emma, Forever Ago.” The whistle reminds listeners that the past is just as mysterious as the present.  

Unfortunately, there are a couple tedious moments that disrupt the overall flow and vibe of the album. It was hard to not keep checking the time stamp while listening to “Birch” and “Brycie.” “Birch” remains a quiet experience, never picking up, with the most interesting part being the buried saxophone. “Brycie” has the same problem. The soundscape never remains interesting for long enough, and the lyrics lack the same vulnerability seen in other tracks. 

“How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last” is a reflective album, an album you listen to when you want to calm down and take a deep breath. While there are faults, listeners will enjoy an overall warm experience from the latest endeavor by Big Red Machine.