It’s been seven years since Ted Leo’s last LP under his own name — 2010’s Brutalist Bricks — and those seven years have been a goddamn crucible for the man. Stereogum’s just-published cover story on Leo goes deep on his life, his career, and the process leading up to his upcoming album, The Hanged Man (which he successfully Kickstarted earlier this year). You should read that story because it’s an astonishing piece of writing and it will knock you down. In the meantime, though, you can spin The Hanged Man’s lead single, “You’re Like Me,” which also drops today. The track’s brisk bounce and Lizzy-esque leads belie its subject matter — namely, incidences of sexual assault suffered by Leo when he was still in grade school. Again, that’s all discussed at length in our cover story, so I won’t spoil it. I will share a quote from Leo on the song, though:

It’s [about] being someone who has your world turned around in a way that places you outside the sort of normal flow of life and events. It’s [about] acknowledging those people as well.

That is some heavy shit! Like all Ted Leo’s music, though, it sounds timeless and vital and it flat-out fucking rocks. I’m just so glad we’ve got this dude and his songs in the world. Listen.

Tour dates:

09/14 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
09/15 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
09/16 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
09/17 Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
09/19 Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
09/20 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
09/23 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
09/24 Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Hall
10/23 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
10/24 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
10/25 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
10/27 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
10/28 Austin, TX @ Mohawk
10/31 Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
11/1 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
11/3 Los Angeles, CA @ The Teragram Ballroom
11/4 San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
11/6 Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
11/8 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
11/11 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club

The Hanged Man is out 9/8. The cover art was created by acclaimed graphic novelist Emil Ferris. Pre-order the album here.