A few weeks ago, Vermont-based songwriter Lutalo announced that not only would they be linking up with Claud for a run of North American dates in September following a set of Midwest shows alongside Katy Kirby at the top of August, but also that somewhere in the span of those two months a new EP entitled AGAIN would emerge, introduced with the laid-back guitar jam “Push Back Baby.” Something of a bedroom take on The National’s somber, introspective ballads circa Alligator, the track’s lyrics fall in line with the songwriter’s long-held mission statement of questioning the status quo. “I want to help people question the way they’re living so we can create a better reality for us to exist in together,” they’ve shared in the past with regard to their musical output.
The second single from AGAIN—which arrives in full on August 25 via Winspear—continues that lyrical theme while shifting the instrumental focus to a glitchy homage to the neo-psych of early Unknown Mortal Orchestra records in order to accommodate a borderline hip-hop drumbeat and calliope-like synths. “The core idea behind ‘PLPH’ is reflecting on living in the United States,” Lutalo shares, before shedding light on the title’s acronym. “The ‘pretty little painted house’ is referencing the White House, the symbol of the United States government and status quo. The song is speaking about the struggles of navigating the political structure in America as a racially marginalized person/person of lower income.”
Check out a visualizer for the new single below, and pre-order AGAIN here. You can also find their full slate of upcoming tour dates here.
