Tigers Jaw’s excellent 2014 album, Charmer, was recorded while more than half the band’s members had one foot out the door. So the Tigers Jaw of 2017 has a pared-down lineup — the core crew of Ben Walsh and Brianna Collins are all that remains — but they have the same sort of tight, undeniable hooks that have garnered the PA-based band so much acclaim and popularity. Their new album, spin, will be released on 5/19, and today the group has shared its lead single, an energetic one called “Guardian” that features Walsh on lead vocals. The album was produced by the famed Will Yip, who is releasing it on his new Atlantic imprint Black Cement Records. Listen to the single and watch a video made up of in-studio footage below.

Here’s what the band had to say about the song to NPR:

Specifically, it deals with the struggle of being someone’s support system while dealing with your own anxieties and issues. When you neglect your own mental health by channeling your focus into other things, putting your head down and forcing normalcy into work and relationships, those issues come back stronger when you run out of distractions. Simple, everyday tasks can become significant sources of anxiety.

Musically, the big open chord progression happened first, then the melody followed pretty naturally. We wanted the structure, powerful chorus and pacing of the song to exist in juxtaposition of the fragile reality of the lyrics. This song also features one of our favorite instrumental parts on the record, and will be an exciting song to add to the live set.

Tracklist:
01 “Follows”
02 “Favorite”
03 “June”
04 “Escape Plan”
05 “Blurry Vision”
06 “Guardian”
07 “Bullet”
08 “Brass Ring”
09 “Oh Time”
10 “Same Stone”
11 “Make It Up”
12 “Window”

spin is out 5/19 via Will Yip’s new label Black Cement Records. Pre-order it here.