Empath, the Philadelphia noise punks whom we’ve previously crowned as helping to redefine guitar music, have announced their sophomore album Visitor, out Feb. 11, 2022, via Fat Possum. Inspired by the scores of horror classics such as Nosferatu and The Wicker Man, Visitor’s production was handled by Jake Portrait of Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
The album’s announcement arrives with its first single, “Diamond Eyelids,” a jangly lo-fi collage of precious moments, accented with psychedelic guitars and muffled drums, that is as shoegaze as it is pop, without losing the noisy chaos that has made Empath such innovators.
Of the song, the band’s Catherine Elicson says:
This song was written stream of consciousness from a few pieced together memories I had. One of coming downstairs at my house one morning and unexpectedly finding a friend who lives on the other side of the country asleep on the couch, and the other memory was of when a friend used to travel from Chicago an hour and a half to the suburbs to work full time at a low paying Americorps job. Collaging memories in a way that created an emotional narrative about reaching for a fleeting moment of connection and familiarity.
Below, watch the video for “Diamond Eyelids” and keep scrolling for complete details of the album. You can preorder Visitor ahead of its Feb. 11 release here.
Visitor Artwork:
Visitor Tracklist:
01. Genius of Evil
02. Born 100 Times
03. Diamond Eyelids
04. Passing Stranger
05. Corner of Surprise
06. House + Universe
07. Elvis Comeback Special
08. 80s
09. V
10. Bell
11. Paradise
