On June 9, Tri Angle Records signee and former Altar of Plagues frontman James Kelly (aka WIFE) will release his new album What’s Between. That’s the nearly-NSFW album artwork above. The broken-down pop of the first single “Heart Is A Far Light” is the London-based artist's biggest vocal moment to date, with an inky oooh-oooh-ing melody that flutters against sighing vocal loops and broken analogue beats. The full-fleshed take on the foreboding sound of his 2012 Stoic EP sound is capivating itself – all swirling echoes, a sprightly guitar riff and the hit of a bassdrum that’s as if brittle after years in an attic – but Kelly’s strong and sure croon is the real revelation in this instantly-replayable torch song. Stream the track and read Kelly’s take on how his new album was a departure from his comfort zone below.

James Kelly: "The album title What's Between refers to what it is that exists between people and moments. In my experience this is something invisible but tangible. "Heart is a Far Light" refers to our desire to obtain the "what". The song title was inspired by one of my favourite pieces of film. This is a scene that resonates with me for a couple of reasons, one of them being my experiences with lucid dreams. Lucid dreams have helped me to resolve many important things in the past, including decisions relating to this album.

My natural instinct with this record was to be 100% honest and simply make the songs I wanted to make. That may seem trite for me to say, but I think that I could have also taken the easier route and succumbed expectations people may have based on any music I have created in the past. I'm acutely aware of certain styles that exist in the electronic music arena, ones which a former metal musician could easily apply his skills towards. But that is not something that I currently have any desire to pursue, and ending my former band was in many ways (although not solely) a statement of sincerity - that WIFE is a new beginning for me, and that I am very much stepping out of my comfort zone with it."