It’s been more than seven years since Chromatics released their landmark Kill For Love and almost five since they shared the tracklist for its planned follow-up, Dear Tommy. Ever since then, fans of Johnny Jewel’s cultishly beloved synthpop-noir project have been waiting.

Chromatics teased Dear Tommy’s release several times over without ever actually releasing it. They’ve released lots of singles, some on that original tracklist, some not. There was talk of a Valentine’s Day release, which In 2017, Jewel said he destroyed every copy of the completed album and started over after a near-death experience. In 2018, he promised it would be out by the fall, a promise he immediately hedged on. And now, with the Chromatics back on the road for the first time in five years, the band has finally — finally! — released a new album. It’s just not Dear Tommy.

Although its title track came out years ago, Closer To Grey mostly comprises previously unreleased songs. It begins with a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound Of Silence,” a move that mirrors Kill For Love’s opening cover of Neil Young’s “Into The Black.” There’s also a cover of Jesus & Mary Chain’s Darklands track “On The Wall.” On first pass it sounds very much like a Chromatics album. As to whether it’s a good one, please hit the comments section and let us know.

Stream Closer To Grey in full below.

Closer To Grey is out now on Italians Do It Better.