Sons Of Raphael is the duo of Loral and Ronnel Raphael, brothers whose artful pop-rock seems obsessed with questions of the spiritual and metaphysical. The title track from last year’s A Nation Of Bloodsuckers EP began with this poem by Ronnel: “I believe in a God who believes in me more than I believe in him. I was not born with a God. I inherited him from my father along with a surname and a passport. I hold a dual citizenship in Heaven and Earth. If I am not for myself, who is for me? And being for my own self, what am I? And if not now, when?” Immediately afterward in the Loral-directed video, Ronnel shot himself in the head. It was a hell of an introduction, and the ensuing song was pretty cool too.

Today the brothers are back with a first taste of their official debut album, to be announced at a later date. It’s called “He Who Makes The Morning Darkness,” and like “A Nation Of Bloodsuckers,” its loosely psychedelic blend of sleek retro touchpoints reminds me of MGMT’s recent return to form Little Dark Age. This one is once again fronted by Ronnel with a visual by Loral, and it was mixed by the late Philippe Zdar before his death in a tragic accident this past summer.

There are sweeping string arrangements, surging synths, ELO-worthy chord changes, delightful saxophone outbursts, and a continued fixation on the apocalyptic and divine. In this case, the visual accompaniment features the phrase “GODISNOWHERE” (to be read “God is nowhere” or “God is now here” depending on your viewpoint) and lyrics about God, war, and menstrual blood. I’m still sussing out the meaning, but it only took one listen to know “He Who Makes The Morning Darkness” sounds great. Hear it below.