It’s been six years since the Hudson Valley, NY band Battle Ave released their last album, Year Of Nod. Today, they’ve announced their first new material since then: an eponymous EP that was put together remotely and will be out in October. They’re leading things off with “My Year With The Wizard,” a fuzzy and melodic one that features some impeccably mumbled-out lyrics from project leader Jesse Doherty. “My year with the wizard was a long one/ You act like a friend, but you’re the wrong one,” he sings. “I call on the phone, I need an answer/ Why don’t you want the truth?”

“I wrote ‘Wizard’ in the middle of one of my quarantine projects — compiling an exhaustive 250-track Robert Pollard ‘best-of’ playlist (he has so many god damn bands and albums) … so obviously GBV ended up seeping into this song, both musically and lyrically,” Doherty explained. “Writing this song, I was thinking a lot about staying in toxic friendships and relationships even though you know it’s not good for anybody involved, something I’ve done a lot.”

Listen below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “My Year With The Wizard”
02 “Fear Of”
03 “Kingston South Cuties”
04 “Cell”
05 “There Can’t Be Love”

The Battle Ave EP is out 10/8.