Every once in a while, a song comes around that simply transports the listener to another world. Most recently for me, that song is “Birch” by Big Red Machine (featuring Taylor Swift).

Big Red Machine is a project formed by Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner from the National. “Birch” in particular combines Bon Iver’s incredible vocals, the National’s lovely arrangements, and Taylor Swift’s masterful lyricism, and the result is a haunting song that is different from anything I’ve heard before. Lyrics like “I know what’s good / And I’ll die that way” and “If there’s a man like me / Then his Birch ain’t my tree” are so powerful that I find them stuck in my mind. The music itself is so emotional and captures the feeling of being unsure of where your life is headed but also stubbornly sure of who you want to be along the way.

Big Red Machine recently released the album How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?, and it’s full of incredible songwriting and mesmerizing tracks like this one. Go check it out.