When the good-humored Floridian emo ambassadors Dikembe gave us “Healer Of The Pride” on a split with the Jazz June, it arrived with the promise of a new LP this year. That album will be called Mediumship, and its lead single is a dramatic slow-build called “Hood Rat Messiah” that’s openly influenced by Brand New. There’s nothing particularly revolutionary about this song — it sounds exactly like you might imagine an emo power ballad would sound — but hot damn, this is how an emo power ballad should sound! These guys have always been good, and contrary to the Steven Gray’s gut-wrenching lyrics, they’ve found a better way to be. Stream “Hood Rat Messiah,” which as far as I can tell is not a reference to the Hold Steady’s elaborate multi-album mythology, below.

Mediumship is out 8/5 on Tiny Engines. Pre-order it at Bandcamp. In the weeks leading up to the album release, Dikembe is going on tour:

7/11 Atlanta @ Drunken Unicorn
7/12 Charlotte, NC @ Area 15
7/14 Baltimore @ Metro Gallery
7/15 New Jersey @ Asbury Lanes
7/16 Philadelphia @ The Fire
7/17 Brooklyn @ St. Vitus
7/18 Albany @ The Ice House
7/19 Long Island @ The Woodshop
7/20 Boston @ Great Scott
7/22 Buffalo, NY @ Waiting Room
7/23 Toronto, ON @ The Cave at Lee’s Palace
7/24 Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s
7/25 Lansing, MI @ TBD
7/26 Chicago, IL @Township
7/27 St. Louis, MO @ The Demo
7/29 Lawrence, KS @ Art Closet Studio
7/30 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
7/31 Salt Lake City, UT @ Shred Shed
8/2 San Fran, CA @ TBD
8/3 Pomona, CA @ Growing Up is Dumb Fest
8/5 Anaheim, CA @ TBD
8/6 San Diego, CA @ TBD
8/7 Mesa, AZ @ 51West