Spirit of the Beehive | photo by Emily Burtner | courtesy of the artist

Spirit of the Beehive are in full record release prep mode, but with a band like this there’s no such thing as business as usual. Ever unpredictable in their sound, the band is back with a second single, “d​.​o​.​u​.​b​.​l​.​e​.​u​.​r​.​o​.​n​.​g.,” from their forthcoming album Hypnic Jerks, out September 14. This will be Spirit of the Beehive’s third full length album, and it comes just over a year after their last one, Pleasure Suck.

The otherworldly new song is a mid-album slow-burner and a departure from lead single “Can I Receive the Contact?,” toning things down from frenetic shouts to hushed whispers. After a spacey, staticky 90-second opening, the song builds slowly and softly, in a mysterious yet familiar haze (I wouldn’t be the first to compare the song’s lightweight vocals to psychedelic-era Beatles). It’s matched by a similarly disorienting video, soaked in bright colors and dim lighting that make the dreamy, lo-fi song even more intense.

See the video for “d​.​o​.​u​.​b​.​l​.​e​.​u​.​r​.​o​.​n​.​g.” below. Spirit of the Beehive plays a show with Pile at the First Unitarian Church on October 18. Find more information on the XPN Concert Calendar.