The great Swedish rock band Makthaverskan blur the line between indie-pop and post-punk in fired-up, theatrical fashion, crafting grandly dramatic pop songs that surge ahead with a concise sense of purpose. They pleasantly surprised us this month by returning with a new single called “Demands,” the first we’d heard from them since 2017’s excellent III LP. With the official release of the “Demands” 7″ today comes its B-side, “Onkel.”

This latest track begins with tension-building drums and bass, with echo-drenched guitar ushering in a typically soaring vocal melody from Maja Milner. Her ability to scale treacherous heights and the band’s dizzying rhythmic mirage here reminds me of early U2 if they were part of the C86 scene. They continue to mine their signature sound with consistently excellent results.

Listen below, and cross your fingers that more new Makthaverskan music might be on the way in 2019.

“Demands” b/w “Onkel” is out now on Run For Cover. Purchase it here.