The Spirit Of The Beehive play in muddy smears, punctuated by withered vocal samples that establish atmosphere and do a great deal of world-building. One in particular comes at the peak of gentle dirge “Natural Devotion”: “If someone had asked me fifteen years ago to imagine what hell feels like, it would have felt a lot like being here right now.” These voices at the margins of existence add to the feeling of being overwhelmed that comes with their new release, You Are Arrived (But You’ve Been Cheated). This is the kind of music that takes a while to unpack, densely layered and pockmarked with small details. The Philadelphia band throws everyone onto the floor in a jumbled mess and expects you to pick up the pieces, or at least get lost in the chaos and roll with it. The pillowy “You Are Arrived” acts as a steadying wave; “World Access” its hellish transverse. The closing track asks “Who Do You Belong To?” and provides no easy answer. The parenthetical in the title of the EP feels poignant, as it points out that life is inherently dishonest. Maybe we’ve gotten somewhere but for what purpose, and to what end? This sounds like the feeling of running in place, or searching around for something to latch onto and consistently failing to come to grips. Listen below.

(via AV Club)

You Are Arrived (But You’ve Been Cheated) is out 9/8 via Ice Age Records & Ranch Records.