Keaton Henson shares double single 'Past It' and 'Loose Ends' | new album 21/11

Today, enigmatic polymath Keaton Henson has shared two new singles from his highly anticipated new album Parader — the introspective Past It and the incisive Loose Ends. The tracks will be the last to come ahead of the albums release on November 21st via Play It Again Sam.

Parader marks Henson’s ninth studio album and his first since 2024’s Somnambulant Cycles. It also follows his recent return single Lazy Magician (co-written by Ratboys’ Julia Steiner), which was released in July, earning support from the likes of Rolling Stone UK, Crack, The Line Of Best Fit, The New Cue, Stereogum, Under The Radar, and GoldFlakePaint, who said it hinted “at a bold new chapter on the horizon; a restless and romantic re-defining.”

Whereas that single nodded to Henson beginning to shed the “quiet boy” persona that has defined much of his career — if we’re to omit his myriad efforts composing for film and theatre, an electronic side project, his classical offerings, his illustration and writing work — the new album sees him fully embracing the grunge-infused sounds of his youth. This was expanded upon with his last single Insomnia, which was announced alongside the new album and saw Henson entwining aching self-observation with a defiance he terms as “musical snark”.

Today’s new songs Past It and Loose Ends capture the two ends of Henson’s journey both personally and musically across the forthcoming record. The first, a nostalgia-soaked evaluation of his career as a musician, is delivered through a crackling, lo-fi hum reminiscent of Christian Lee Hutson or Phoebe Bridgers. While awash with self-doubt, the self-reflective daydream is permeated by an understanding of his own needs. “This one’s a bit meta,” says Henson. “It’s me looking at ageing and growing older as a musician. But also reflecting on the whole idea of a 37-year-old man singing the kinds of songs I sing, especially the way I am on this album. Sometimes you can catch your reflection while writing songs and I have these thoughts, usually ending with wondering if anyone will even hear it.”

The latter of the two tracks Loose Ends, sees him once again revisiting that musical snark from the last single, carrying a American garage-rock undercurrent in the lurking distortion and its combative rhythm, the taunting cry of “Oh me, oh my” bears an argumentative edge in its sardonic dark tone. “It’s referential of music from my youth,” continues Henson. “The kind of early 2000s rock bands from America. It’s pretty sarcastic. It’s about feeling like you’re guilting someone into staying with you. It’s pretty snarky, self-loathing and dark, maybe contrasting the fun of the music”.