LA-based Milwaukee native Richard Jankovich leads Big Mother Gig, an emo band that matches huge pop hooks with equally massive guitar sounds. The project’s next album, Gusto, is a chronicle of Jankovich’s recovery from alcoholism. He says he wrote these 13 songs more or less entirely during one desert cabin getaway last spring celebrating his first year of sobriety. The opening track is out today, and it’s a good one.

“The Underdog,” which features vocals from Slothrust’s Leah Wellbaum, is a mightily catchy introduction to Big Mother Gig that reminds me of late-’90s touchpoints like Clarity-era Jimmy Eat World but with a grand guitar sheen I’d almost compare to the Cure. Jankovich compares himself to the Bad News Bears, singing, “I am the underdog/ I’m trying not to let you down.” He explains, “I’m essentially asking the audience to root for me as I begin the journey of sobriety and of trying to live life without the haze of stimulation.”

Hear “The Underdog” below along with prior single “Past The Sun.”

TRACKLIST:
01 “The Underdog” (Feat. Slothrust’s Leah Wellbaum)
02 “The Doctor Will See You Now”
03 “My Unveiling”
04 “20 Miles”
05 “Sober Man’s Test”
06 “Overcome With Shadows”
07 “High Functioning”
08 “Drawn With Broken Crayons”
09 “Past The Sun”
10 “Forgotten For Years”
11 “That Day”
12 “Running Rivers”
13 “Something About Fire”

Gusto is out 4/30 on Fraga/Sweet Sweet. Pre-order it here.