James Yorkston and The Athletes release the first single from their acclaimed sophomore album, Just Beyond the River. ‘Shipwreckers’ comes in the form of a new mix by renowned producers Bacon and Quarmby. It’s a storming story of lovers entwined, watching the lights of the shipwrecks out at sea, whose movements magnify and mirror the lovers’ secret meeting. Painterly in its style, it is a detail of the intimacy and closeness, and the underlying threat involved in a stolen moment of love. And at just under 3 minutes, the tale is told by James and The Athletes without a note or word too many (!)

‘The A of the Oboe’ is a beautiful hymnal instrumental for banjo and accordion, pitched somewhere between the mood and texture of a Pet Sounds vocal-less cut, and Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works. And the demo recording of ‘Heron’ is no less ambient for its use of vocals; another song whose strength is its warming mood as much as its tightly woven lyrical declaration of love.

Exclusive to the 7″ B-side, however, The Route to the Harmonium, is the nosiest, most repetitive thing James has released since the Four-Tet remix of The Lang Toun. It sounds like Can, or Faust, jamming with an angry wasp. Honestly. I guess you’ll just have to hear it. Turn it up, when you do.