Sylvan Esso Shares “On & On” From Ow ∞

After the noisy guitar detour of last year’s “Hot Slob,” Sylvan Esso returned to their usual territory with “Concrete Glen,” the Sigur Rós-sampling lead single from their upcoming album Ow ∞. “On & On,” the second preview, stays on that course but moves with more friction.

The track is built on a brisk, unsettled pulse. Amelia Meath’s voice doesn’t chase the rhythm; it moves against it, drowsy and unhurried, until the two find a kind of sync. The tension never fully loosens, but the song learns to move inside it rather than resist it.

The credits are notably fuller than the duo’s earliest work. Glenn Kotche of Wilco plays drums and percussion; Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak and Flock of Dimes contributes bass, guitar, and percussion. Daniel Aged, Jake Luppen, and TJ Maiani round out the ensemble. It’s a denser sound without losing the clarity that has defined Sylvan Esso’s best material.

Ow ∞ arrives September 11 on Psychic Hotline. On September 3, the band has scheduled listening parties at record shops in Mexico City, Taipei, Tokyo, Dublin, London, Berlin, and more than a dozen U.S. cities, from San Diego to Philadelphia to West Palm Beach.