Seattle’s bilingual indie-pop sweethearts Chinese American Bear are back with big, buoyant news. The duo of Anne Tong and Bryce Barsten have announced their brand new album ‘Dim Sum & Then Some,’ landing 8 May via Moshi Moshi Records, and they’ve shared a glorious lead single to match: All The People (所有人).
The track arrives with a lovingly DIY stop-motion video directed by Barsten himself — think puppets, theatre stages, beams of light and a whole lot of basement magic.
Sonically, All The People (所有人) is pure joy. Warbling guitars drift through psychedelic pop, disco flickers and dreamy synth textures, channelling that wide-eyed, technicolour spirit fans of MGMT or The Flaming Lips will instantly vibe with. It’s light, weird in the best way, and built to soundtrack small moments of wonder.
“This is probably my favourite song on the album,” Barsten says. “It’s fun, cool, a little strange — a song for everyone. All the people.”
Tong’s bilingual Mandarin/English lyrics lean into fantasy this time, inspired by castles, fairies, and a shared love of escapist worlds. Food, memory and Chinese-American identity are still core emotional touchstones, but here they’re refracted through a dreamy, imaginative lens that feels playful and expansive.
The upcoming album follows their 2024 release ‘Wah!!!’ and marks a clear evolution. ‘Dim Sum & Then Some’ is more musically dense, more exploratory, and more confident — a collage of love, food, upbringing, fantasy and everyday joy, stitched together with curiosity and warmth. It’s Chinese American Bear at their most open-hearted.
The stop-motion video mirrors that ethos perfectly. Made in Barsten’s parents’ basement using puppets, tiny lights and a whole lot of patience, it’s a tactile, human counterpoint to an increasingly AI-driven world. Handmade, heartfelt, and bursting with charm.
With tens of millions of streams, support from BBC 6 Music and KEXP, and features from outlets like VOGUE+, Pasteand Under the Radar, Chinese American Bear are firmly in their glow-up era. This spring, they’ll take ‘Dim Sum & Then Some’ on the road, hitting festivals across the UK and Europe, including Brighton’s The Great Escape and Dot To Dot.
‘Dim Sum & Then Some’ is out 8 May via Moshi Moshi Records.
All The People (所有人) is out now — and honestly, it’s impossible not to smile while it plays.
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