New Love is a fun record. The generally bleak and willfully mopey Former Ghosts might not evoke “fun” in your brain, but on their second collection Freddy Ruppert, Jamie Stewart, Stereogum40 goth standout Nika Roza Danilova, and new collaborator Yasmine Kittles remove some of the submerged claustrophobia from last year’s Fleurs and replace it with a full-throttled anthemic feel. I mentioned this when we posted the Zola Jesus-fronted “Chin Up.” It shows up in “New Orleans,” too. Even a scuzzier moment like “Winter’s Year” is bigger on group synthpop dance choreography than solitary wrist slitting.

• Former Ghosts – “Winter’s Year”Download

New Love is out 11/9 via Upset The Rhythm. They’ll be touring on Halloween:

10/28 – Dijon, FR – Novosonic Festival #
10/29 – Dublin, IE – Darklight Festival #
10/30 – Bristol, UK – Arnolfini #
10/31 – Leeds, UK – Brundenell Social Club #
11/01 – London, UK – XOYO $
11/02 – Kortrijk, BE – De Kreun $
11/03 – Groningen, NL – Vera $
11/04 – Hamburg, DE – Kampnagel $
11/05 – Malmo, SE – Debaser $
11/06 – Stockholm, SE – Fritz Corner at Debaser $
11/07 – Oslo, NO – Cafe Mono $
11/08 – Copenhagen, DK – TBA $
11/09 – Berlin, DE – Festsaal Kreuzberg $
11/10 – Prague, CZ – Club Matrix $
11/11 – Muenchen, DE – Rote Sonne $
11/12 – St. Gallen, CH – Palace $
11/13 – Vavey, CH – Rocking Chair $
11/14 – Schorndorf, DE – Club Manufaktur $
11/15 – Milano, IT – Tunnel $
11/17 – Lyon, FR – Grrnd Zero $
11/18 – Paris, FR – Fondation Center $
11/19 – Luxembourg, LU – Exit07 $
11/20 – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso $

# w/ Xiu Xiu
$ w/ Xiu Xiu, Zola Jesus