Los Angeles garage dweller Mike Krol shared his first new music since 2015 this summer with a 7″ including “An Ambulance” and “Never Know.” Now, we get the full story on what Krol has been up to for the past couple of years. He’s announced his fourth album, aptly titled Power Chords, as well as a headlining spring tour.

According to a press release, Krol’s goal with the album’s lead single “Little Drama,” out today, was “to make the simplest, most primitive ‘rock riff’ progression ever.” As far as all riffs in the history of rock go, that would take a lot of eardrum-destructive sifting and sorting to determine. But sure enough, it’s two and a half minutes of brutish, frantic, scratched up power pop explosions reminiscent of Jay Reatard, with a lucidly catchy melody that makes his Strokes-worship obvious.

Krol says:

“Little Drama” summarizes my daily struggles. It has brash, over-the-top aggressive verses with a chorus that reveals all of the confrontation and toughness that was just described in the verses was internal and an imaginary scenario that’ll most likely never be carried out. I suppose it’s the Midwestern in me to be polite, kind and apologetic always on the outside — while on the inside, keeping a list of names of everyone who’s done you wrong and bottling up all your anger until one day it explodes.

Listen below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Power Chords”
02 “What’s The Rhythm”
03 “An Ambulance”
04 “Little Drama”
05 “Left For Dead”
06 ‘Blue And Pink”
07 “I Wonder”
08 “Wasted Memory”
09 “Nothing To Yell About”
10 “Arrow In My Heart”
11 “The End”

TOUR DATES:
02/15 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
02/16 Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater
02/20 San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
02/22 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
02/23 Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Back Bar
02/26 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
02/27 Milwaukee, WI @ The Back Room at Colectivo Coffee
02/28 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
03/01 Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx
03/02 Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
03/04 Allston, MA @ Great Scott
03/05 Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
03/06 Philadelphia, PA @ The Boot & Saddle
03/07 Washington, DC @ DC9
03/08 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle in Backroom
03/10 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
03/11 New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
03/19 Denver, CO @ Globe Hall
03/20 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
03/22 Reno, NV @ Holland Project
03/23 Visalia, CA @ Cellar Door

Power Chords is out 1/25 on Merge Records. Pre-order it here.

CREDIT: Brian Guido