With a name change from Agrocragg to Ernie, Lamont Brown has expanded the sound and size of his band. Now no longer a solo project, the new Dog Park EP is filled with songs that feel like they’d translate well to a bigger stage. Brown’s pointed and immediate songwriting still serves as the hook, as evidenced by lead single “Sweatpants” and the caustic, questioning “New Laundry,” but it’s supported by some sloppily concise, cutting work from the rest of the group. “All the songs are written around things from growing up that still bother me a lot,” Brown explained when he reoriented the project earlier this year. “Ernie was a family member that walked out on us when I was in High School. I feel like it summarizes this band way more than the previous name.” Despite knowing the true origins of their name, I can’t help but imagine that it’s an abbreviation for “earnest,” a feeling that this EP has in droves. Listen via Noisey below.

The Dog Park EP is out 11/20 via Soft Speak Records.