Blouse are back with another taste of their forthcoming album Imperium, with the new single “A Feeling Like This”.

Where first single “No Shelter” drives forward with propulsive energy, “A Feeling Like This” takes the foot off the gas and let’s the breeze in. A rhythmic, pop-infused drum beat carries the momentum while hazy guitars and Hilton’s dreamy vocals create an atmosphere of casual sensuality.

Evolution is a tricky word when discussing current trends in music, especially when it comes to sophomore albums. BLOUSE, the 2011 debut from the Portland band of the same name was a lush, melodic and dreamy affair spiked with whoozy synths and delicate vocals. For Imperium, their 2nd LP for Captured Tracks, Blouse have shed the synths, done away with drum machines and wrote and recorded with “instruments that don’t plug into the wall,” as enforced by band member/producer Jacob Portrait.

Sonically speaking, that comes through on the LP immediately. Perhaps bolstered by the ongoing construction occurring next to the studio while the record was being made, the sense of force and urgency propelling the record is evident. Patrick Adams’ driving bass and plodding drums in the title track usher in this new guitar-friendlier Blouse; more direct and clearer of vision, but still mysterious and beautiful.

Jacob and Patrick’s Pacific Northwest alt-rock roots (filtered through post-punk and V/U) are a great counterpoint to ex-pat Southern CA transplant Charlie Hilton’s Cohen/Patti/Nico singer/songwriter nature. The dichotomy of those two forces on tracks like “No Shelter” and “1000 Years” are at the core of Imperium. These are delicate songs from the perspective of a valley girl who grew up with gurus and ashrams played by indie lifers on a steady diet of NEU! It makes it all the more understandable to have showers of acoustic guitars and (real, not synthesized) cellos interrupted by fuzz guitar.

Imperium Tracklisting