Former Craft Spells drummer Peter Michel steps out in front of the kit with Hibou, a dreamy new Seattle post-punk project that builds on the legacy of Wild Nothing and DIIV. The 21-year-old’s self-titled debut is out this fall on Barsuk, and lead single “Dissolve” suggests it’s gonna be a good one. The track starts out as an especially warm and friendly spin on the C86 sound — all steady pulse, luminescent guitar, and mystical whispers — before exploding into a wonderfully florid prog-rock finish that feels like an entire woodland scene bursting into a celebratory dance routine, possibly with aliens present. It’s a surprising turn that marks the song as more than just an excellent genre exercise and Hibou as more than torchbearers in a storied tradition. Listen below.

Hibou have tour dates all over the U.S. this summer:

07/14 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
07/15 Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
07/16 Las Vegas, NV @ Bunk House
07/18 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
07/20 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
07/22 Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
07/23 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
07/24 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
07/25 Detroit, MI @ Loving Touch
07/26 Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
07/28 Albany, NY @ The Hollow
07/29 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
07/31 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
08/01 Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
08/03 Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
08/05 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
08/06 New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
08/07 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
08/08 Dallas, TX @ Three Links
08/09 Austin, TX @ The Parish
08/14 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey
08/15 Santa Barbara, CA @ Soho
08/16 Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst
08/17 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
08/20 Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl
08/21 Seattle, WA @ Barboza

And here’s a look at Michel:

Hibou is out 9/18 on Barsuk.

[Photo by Jenny Jimenez.]