Written by J. Dylan White

After ending a romantic relationship, the last thing on most people’s mind would be to record a full-length album with that ex. However, for Berlin-based duo Nick & June, this is exactly the story behind their debut LP, “New Year’s Face.”

After releasing their first EP, “Beach Baby, Baby,” as Nick & June in 2023, Nick Wolf and Suzie-Lou Kraft ended their romantic relationship, but the two have returned with a new musical offering forged in the salty ocean air of Bridgeport, Conn.

With Grammy-winning producer Peter Katis, who has worked with The National and Interpol, Nick & June collaborated with members of The Antlers and The National as they weave together an ethereal soundscape laden with haze.

“New Year’s Face” begins with its title track, a gentle, melancholy anthem with a catchy outro hook backed by bell percussion instrumentation. Kraft’s voice delicately lilts in the choruses, “All the good songs are for sale, all of me is a waste / All of you is truly sad.”

The title track eases listeners into the cultivated environment of the album and sets the table for future entries on the LP.

“Crying in a Cool Way” exposes a morsel of cynical, sarcastic attitude with the repeated line of the song’s title. An electric bass lines the transitions between verses and choruses in an extremely satisfying fashion that ramps the low-key energy of the track.

Wolf takes lead vocals on “Dark Dark Bright,” a heartfelt, sentimental goodbye to a relationship wrapped in a hidden, inner ferocity. Each verse grows in intensity, as a dark, brooding brass section orchestrated by The National’s Kyle Resnick and Ben Lanz underscores the multiple layers of vocals and energetic electronic drumbeat before falling away to a lonely acoustic guitar riff.

“Dark Dark Bright” stands out as one of the best on the record and encapsulates a bittersweet, tortured lover in its rawest form.

The Antlers join the duo on “2017.” The track is introspective and conflicted, with contrasting lines and ideas compiling on each other in the chorus. 

The song ends on a reflective note, pulling on nostalgia about life just a short while ago in 2017 and asking, almost pleading, whether anyone still lives in that era.

“Trouble” comes next, and strips down a little more than its predecessor, with Kraft’s voice becoming its own instrument, complementing the subdued husk of Wolf’s vocals as a firm, but reserved, trumpet fills the background.

The magic of “Trouble” is the differing styles from verse to verse, as the final verse is extremely free-form, a direct contrast to its previous counterpart, organized by a variety of syncopated percussive elements. This falls between the choruses, echoing the promise that “Trouble will catch us today.”

Another standout on the record, Wolf’s lead in this track forms a beautifully tragic picture of a relationship doomed for failure without tipping into nihilism.

“The Boy with the Jealous Eyes” features Spanish lo-fi artist Russian Red and starts like a waltz supported by electric guitar hits. The track is propped up by the harmonies of the three vocalists, with some of the most minimalistic instrumentation present on the entire LP.

Following is “You Are the Voice That’s Hunting My Soul for a Show,” a spacious, driven track tinged with wistful reminiscence. Kraft’s vocals lend graceful strength to the song while retaining its airy, glassy quality.

“Anthem,” like its namesake, is a soaring and expansive sonic rollercoaster. With a dramatic chorus combining a booming bass drum and a stalwart brass section that ramps the energy of the track to some of the highest on the album, it is one of the more memorable entries on “New Year’s Face.”

The Antlers make another appearance on “Pinker Moon,” a mystical, cinematic song brimming with the repeated line, “Welcome to my sorry, a party with you and my soul.” The imagery of the moon returns after being introduced on previous tracks “Crying in a Cool Way” and “You Are the Voice,” lending itself to the ideas of new growth and beginnings.

“Husband & Wife” closes out the album and features Canadian composer Owen Pallett, who lends his orchestration skills with a dreamy blend of stringed and percussion instruments underlying the melancholy dousing this track. Laden with crescendos and a cinematic execution, the song provides a fitting bookend to the album.

“New Year’s Face” is a solid full-length outing for the duo Nick & June. It provides deep, thought-provoking lyricism mixed with heavy, but catchy, hooks and melodies.

There are some minor hiccups with the pacing and atmosphere of the album, however.

As a whole, the album moves at a fair clip, totaling just under 41 minutes, but a few moments, such as the back halves of “Pinker Moon” and “Husband & Wife,” linger a little long and would benefit from being shaved down slightly.

Additionally, the atmosphere of the album is very purposeful and well executed, but some musical ideas and tracks risk sounding too alike to be difficult to distinguish to the casual listener.

Standouts like “Dark Dark Bright” and “Trouble” are definitely memorable, though, and represent the themes and motifs of the album well.

“New Year’s Face” is a worthwhile listen, if for nothing else than to appreciate the artistry Nick & June poured into the construction of the album. All listeners will find a couple of entries on the album that stick with them long beyond the initial listen.