Sylvan Esso Returns With 'Radio'

As Sylvan Esso, singer Amelia Meath and producer Nick Sanborn craft danceable pop songs that exude an ambivalent, searching quality. Sure, they're catchy as anything, and Meath — a veteran of the a cappella folk group Mountain Man — knows how to command a spotlight. But Sylvan Esso's songs also bear the weight of melancholy, even as Sanborn's springy arrangements send them soaring.

Since its release in 2014, the duo's self-titled debut has held up incredibly well — so well, in fact, that new material feels like a bit of a surprise, simply because the older songs still sound so fresh. But after a pair of bonus tracks trickled out last year, Sylvan Esso is preparing a new album for release in 2017, and surprise-dropping a new song overnight: Titled "Radio," it matches characteristically propulsive electronics with Meath's scathing commentary about commodification.

"Radio" will get a physical release on a 12" single — paired with "Kick Jump Twist," which has popped up in Sylvan Esso's live sets — that's due out on Nov. 18. In the meantime, soak it up here as you await more new material soon.