In Between Stars

In 2016, Friedberger had released her third studio album, New View; the following year, she took a trip to Athens, Greece, to reconnect with her Greek heritage and get inspiration for her fourth studio album.[3][4] While there, on the recommendation of a Greek musician friend, she visited a nightclub called Rebound which her friend described as an "‘80s goth disco" and which played music reminiscent of Joy Division and the Cure.[3] Following her visit to Greece, Friedberger began writing music for the album, including "In Between Stars."[1]

Friedberger had at first written "In Between Stars" as a piano ballad; she played a demo for Bradford Cox, a friend and member of the group Deerhunter, who, Friedberger told Consequence of Sound, informed her that the song "doesn’t need to go anywhere [....] This is not interesting at all." Friedberger disagreed, and instead altered the song’s arrangement to be more "synth-heavy."[1]

For the lyrics, Friedberger was inspired by a book of Greek mythology she’d been given by a friend as a Christmas gift.[1] She told Consequence of Sound that she had "been feeling a larger, mythic connection to Greece [...] since my early twenties, and my recent trip just made it even deeper."[1]

"In Between Stars" is three minutes and twenty-nine seconds long, written in the key of C Major and with a tempo of 110 beats per minute.[5][6] The song’s production marked a departure for Friedberger in that, whereas on New View she had recorded with her touring band, "In Between Stars" consists mostly of solo performance, with production by Clemens Knieper.[7][8][9] It includes a Juno synthesizer, drum machines, and guitars.[7][3][10] Uproxx described the song as sounding "ethereal."[11] In a single review for DIY, critic Eugenie Johnson observed that, although the song is less centered on guitars than much of Friedberger’s previous work, "jagged [guitar] riffs pierc[e] through the mix."[8] A writer for the Phoenix New Times, meanwhile, likened the song’s production to that of Giorgio Moroder’s early 1980s work.[4] An album review for Spin noted that the song "initially suggests itself to be" a pop anthem, but ultimately "decomposes rather than culminates," with a "rude, blaring guitar" and "tinny handclaps" in the middle and at the end, respectively.[2]

The song’s lyrics have been described as "evocative but ambiguous metaphors," and as containing a "sing-song refrain."[7][2] An album review by Tiny Mix Tapes described the lyrics as "quasi mythological."[12] The final lines of the song — "I don’t know how I’ve come to see the world exclusively through your eyes/ Everything I buy and eat and do with you in mind" — were highlighted by numerous critics as a highlight of the song.[7][13][8][2]

The song was released on February 14, 2018, along with the announcement that Friedberger’s new album, Rebound, would be released in May, and a list of United States and United Kingdom tour dates slated for between February and May 2018; several were appearances as the opening act for The Decemberists.[3][10][13][14][15] In an accompanying press release, Friedberger described the Athenian club which ultimately became the namesake of the album, quoting a Greek friend who described the club as "kind of an 80s goth disco where everyone does the chicken dance [...] but it’s only open on Saturdays after 3:00 AM."[13]

On March 7, 2018, Friedberger released the official music video for "In Between Stars."[14] It depicts Friedberger driving and walking through a desert, dancing, and singing to herself.[14][16][17] The video employs effects to resemble a "retro VHS."[16] Paste magazine described the video as "super L.A."[16]

The video was shot by Friedberger herself and edited by Los Angeles videographer Danny Perez.[14][16] Friedberger was inspired to recruit Perez to edit the video after she saw and was impressed by his work for Body/Head and Bjorn Copeland, in particular praising the analog feedback and bright colors characteristic of his work, which she felt "fit the mood of Rebound perfectly."[14] While filming the video, Friedberger received encouragement from Kim Gordon; she had initially asked Gordon to direct the video herself, but after Gordon declined (citing her busy schedule), she helped Friedberger to film the video on an iPhone.[18]

In a review for Pitchfork upon the single’s release, critic Marc Hogan deemed the song "coolly poised" and opined that it feels "at once intimate and somewhat mysterious;" he concluded that "It’s still worth seeing the world for awhile through her view."[7] A single review by DIY, written by Eugenie Johnson, deemed the song "a strident, confident return."[8] An album review for the Chicago Tribune described the song as "gently buoyant."[19]

Digital download[20]

1. "In Between Stars" — 3:29

Demos from Rebound Redux[21][22][23]

1. "In Between Stars 1" — 3:41
2. "In Between Stars 2" — 3:27
3. "In Between Stars 3" — 3:51

Adapted from Rebound liner notes and reviews[1][3][10][7][24]

• Eleanor Friedberger — vocals, Juno synthesizer, drum machines, guitars
• Clem Knieper — production

• Watch the music video on YouTube