Veteran songwriter Mark Eitzel’s latest album Hey Mr Ferryman is rapidly approaching, and today we get another advance peek in addition to “The Last Ten Years.” Whereas that song is brisk and chipper, the new “An Answer” is a romantic ballad with a grand, string-laden scope. Explains Eitzel:

Is a goopy love song about dancing. In its history it has been called “There’s An Answer,” “There’s No Answer,” “Very Good At False Bravado,” “The Starting Gun,” “I’ll Go Easy” and “I’ll Go Quiet.”

Listen below.

Eitzel has a lot of tour dates coming up with Howe Gelb:

01/26 Los Angeles, CA @ Resident
01/27 Sacramento, CA @ The Old Ironsides
01/28 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
02/03 Seattle, WA @ The Triple Door
02/04 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
02/10 Kilkenny, IE @ Cleere’s
02/11 Cork, IE @ Cyprus Avenue
02/12 Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s
02/14 Leuven, BE @ Het Depot
02/15 Paris, FR @ Divan Du Monde
02/17 Vienna, AT @ Fluc
02/18 Ebensse, AT @ Kino
02/19 Zürich, CH @ El Lokal
02/21 Fürth, DE @ Kofferfabrik
02/22 Hamburg, DE @ Knust
02/23 Aarhus, DK @ Helsinger Theater
02/24 Copenhagen, DK @ Huset KBH
02/25 Oslo, NO @ Gloria Flames
02/26 Malmö, SE @ Folk å Rock
02/28 Dudelange, LU @ Opderschmelz
03/01 Amsterdam, NL @ Zonnehuis
03/04 Brighton, UK @ Bleach
03/05 Bristol, UK @ The Fleece
03/07 London, UK @ Bush Hall
03/08 Sheffield, UK @ Greystones
03/09 Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
03/10 Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny
03/11 Glasgow, UK @ The Admiral Bar
03/31 Champaign, IL @ The Accord
04/01 Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
04/02 Nashville, TN @ Exit / In
04/04 Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
04/05 Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
04/06 Raleigh, NC @ Kings
04/07 Washington, DC @ Hill Country Live DC
04/08 Jersey City, NJ @ Monty Hall at WFMU
04/09 Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade Theater
04/11 Boston, MA @ ONCE Ballroom
04/12 Buffalo, NY @ Marty & Susan’s House
04/13 Pittsburgh, PA @ The Andy Warhol Museum
04/14 Detroit, MI @ El Club
04/15 Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music

Hey Mr Ferryman is out 1/27 on Merge. Pre-order it here.