How To Dress Well has returned after a two-year break with a new track called — take a deep breath — “Vacant Boat (shred) | Nonkilling 1 | The Anteroom | False Skull 1.” HTDW’s new one is a graceful, unassuming composition that finds depth among its subdued vocals and its gripping, club-tinged percussion. Wholly engaging for a 7-minute song, “Vacant Boat…” provides a weirdly smooth ride though a series of jolting texture and mood changes; the darkness that unfolds at the 5-minute mark is especially cool.
“Vacant Boat…” is part of a single called “Land Of The Overflowing Urn,” out now on Domino. If the song is any indication of what’s to come later this year, we can expect something a little more frayed and dissonant than what HTDW has offered in the past.
Trigger warning: YouTube may play a Jack White video after this one ends—it did for me.