Lincoln Halloran has been writing songs and performing as Hello Shark for almost a decade now. Delicate, his next full-length, is his first since moving to Philadelphia in 2014, and it takes advantage of the well-connected group of friends he’s accumulated over the years: Free Cake For Every Creature’s Katie Bennett plays bass and sings throughout the album; it was produced by Attic Abasement’s Michael Rheinheimer; and Florist’s Emily Sprague sings on “Drake Night,” the album’s first single.

The track uses a chance run-in with an ex at a club theme night for the sadsack rapper as the impetus to reflect on where a relationship went awry. “I was only trying to push you away/ After I found out you were leaving/ So it would be easier to take,” Halloran sings. It’s a song rooted in the past, idealizing the one that got away, as he imagines them at the apartment where they spent the most time together, even though said lover has since moved elsewhere and moved on. “Don’t fear the grim reaper/ He’s just a little crush that you’ve never touched,” Halloran is joined by Sprague in a gauzy duet. “If you wanted to, there’s nothing I could do,” they end on the same note, both powerless. Listen below.

Tour Dates:
08/16 Chicago, IL @ The Hideout *^
08/17 Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop *
08/18 Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub *
08/19 Atlanta, GA @ The 529 *
08/20 Athens, GA @ The World Famous *
08/21 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 *
08/22 Charlottesville, VA @ Tea Bazaar *
08/23 Baltimore, MD @ Loner’s Club *
08/24 Brooklyn, NY @ Silent Barn *
08/25 New Haven, CT @ Hue-man Interactions *?
08/26 Portland, ME @ Apohadion Theatre *&
08/27 Bar Harbor, ME @ Lompoc Cafe *
08/28 Montreal, QC @ Casa del Popolo *
08/29 Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House *
08/30 Boston, MA @ O’Brien’s Pub *>
08/31 Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA *

* w/ Advance Base
^ w/ Dance Bullies
? w/ Adult Mom
& w/ Robert Stillman
> w/ Lisa/Liza
! w/ Shivery Shakes

Delicate is out 9/30 via Orindal Records. Pre-order it here.

CREDIT: Abi Reimold