When he’s not playing with Fucked Up, releasing music under his own name, or updating his blog, Ben Cook, (aka Young Governor) is putting in work as one-half of the Bitters, his lo-fi pop project with Aerin Fogel. The Bitters make cavernous ’50s-influenced pop music with well-defined guitar hooks cleaved through the haze. On “The New Real Way,” from their debut album East General, Fogel’s vocals are particularly great, especially how she hisses the final syllable of each line. You can totally picture her singing this in a black scoop neck and ruby lipstick, ’50s-bad-girl-style.

• The Bitters – “The New Real Way”Download

East General is out digitally later this week and will be available on limited vinyl and CD-R April 13 via Mexican Summer.

Tracklist:

01 “Wild Beast”
02 “Nurtured Disease”
03 “Nails In The Coffin”
04 “No Anchor”
05 “Beggar”
06 “The New Real Way”
07 “East”
08 “Impatient As Can Be”
09 “Bitters”
10 “Travelin’ Girl”
11 “I’m Feelin’ Good”