William Ryan Fritch is only about two steps away from Justin Vernon on the family tree — he plays in Death Blues with Volcano Choir member Jon Mueller — and there are certainly echoes of Bon Iver in the songwriter and composer’s exquisite “Heavy,” particularly in the ghostly choral swells that ripples through the music’s atmosphere. Fritch’s own vocals have a bit of Antony Hegarty in them, though that could just be the ornate arrangement skewing my perception. Fritch can barely read music, but his work is grandiose in an unmistakably classical fashion. That he conjures these sounds from a pile of largely junky instruments is all the more impressive. Fritch’s upcoming album Revisionist is being billed as his first major statement of purpose after making his presence known with the Leave Me Sessions subscription series. The new project features Benoit Pioulard, DM Stitch, Origamibiro, and Esme Patterson, but Fritch’s own vision shines through clearly in the darkness of “Heavy.” Listen below.

Revisionist is out 2/10 on Lost Tribe Sound. Pre-order it here.