Andrew Choi is one of the most intense and expressive vocalists in indie rock. As St. Lenox, he seems to funnel every ounce of energy he can muster into his lyric-driven songs, so that every syllable commands attention. Most recently he demonstrated those talents on “Deliverance,” the lead single from his new album Ten Songs Of Worship And Praise For Our Tumultuous Times, billed as “a progressive, queer, spiritual record tracking the great American religious drift of the 21st century.”

The album’s second single, “Arthur Is At A Shiva,” is out today. It’s a story song driven by hard-slapping drums and a keyboard riff that immediately inserts itself into your brain. “I was down at a work party last week to celebrate the end of the summer,” Choi sings. “It was the end of the evening then, And I was at a bar up in midtown. Jerry’s feeling like chicken tonight, and he orders some wings from the waitress and then Jerry and I traded shots at the bar. It was the typical shenanigans, but where’s Arthur now?” Arthur shows up late, explaining, “I was just at a shiva today for the death of a good friend of mine. A towering figure in my early life, he was an excellent specimen.” The narrative continues from there.

In Choi’s self-directed video, he shares his recipe for the Great Fractal Challah, which he developed while learning to make bread during the pandemic like so many other people. Watch below.

Ten Songs Of Worship And Praise For Our Tumultuous Times is out 6/11 on Don Giovanni/Anyway.