Yeah, mostly

Yeah, mostly is a new collection of 11 songs resembling a collection of short stories traversing a person’s relationship with their dishwasher, a grandparent’s funeral, an ungodly cold night in Los Angeles and other scenes that float in and around the rhythms of daily life. It is the most personal and self-assured album yet from Epstein–also known for his work under the moniker High Water, in addition to collaborations with Nicolás Jaar and Dave Harrington (Darkside)–as well as the most seemingly effortless application of his songwriting talents. His work composing for movies, like his recent IDA Documentary Award-nominated score for Nam June Paik: Moon Is The Oldest TV, bleeds into his recent, more accessible work. “A drop of music on an image can totally change the feeling and texture,” he maintains, and his fluid and uninhibited way of creating a different type of architecture for each scene imbues his songs with whimsy and character. Yeah, mostly was recorded between July 2024 and January 2025 at Epstein's home studio on an eight track tape machine, with vocals sung live and unedited, and minimal overdubs. The album's warm, homespun quality owes much to the intimate setting of its creation. With Yeah, mostly, Epstein wanted to pay special attention to developing his songwriting craft and finding a voice for his lyric writing that felt more naturally his own. In the months preceding this new material, he found himself listening repeatedly to Lou Reed’s The Blue Mask, drawn to the confidence with which Reed delivered and elevated even the most pedestrian phrase or idea with no signs of self-censorship. Applying a similar abandon to compact and concise songforms, the songs on Yeah, mostly rarely stretch beyond two or three minutes, and Epstein refers to them as “little things that you can put in your pocket.” These vignettes resemble love notes or tiny capsules of memory, where the romance often comes from the simplicity and absurdity of merely being alive. Every day hangs in a fragile balance, and the only thing grounding is both the certainty of routine and the simple pleasures of building a life with someone. The songs zoom in and out of “different facets of myself that emerge throughout the course of a day,” Epstein says, and he handles them with a playful sense of humor even when the thoughts that come can be complex. There’s a deft touch with this material and a lightness that pervades–they’re about the little things and that’s what allows them to go deep. Epstein muses on how the landscape around him feels self-determined, defined by both the passage of years and the spectre of those who are as much a part of his past as his present. Despite the record’s insular feel, creativity through collaboration remains at the forefront as the presence of others continues to color Epstein’s life. His vocals may remain front and center throughout Yeah, mostly, but it’s “having community and working with community and that being a really important part of building the music” that has always remained an integral part of Epstein’s artistic career. Co-produced by Michael Coleman (Cassandra Jenkins, Billie Marten)–who also provided additional guitar, synths, bass, and backing vocals–the album also features contributions from Austin Vaughn (Cass McCombs, Luke Temple, Sam Evian) and Kenny Wollesen (Linda Thompson, Laurie Anderson, Tomberlin) on drums/percussion; Kurt Kotheimer (Cassandra Jenkins) and Eli Crews (Tune-Yards) on bass; and Zosha Warpeha (L’Rain, Big Thief) on hardanger d’amore.