Trace Mountains, the solo project of LVL UP’s Dave Benton, will release the new album Into The Burning Blue in a few weeks. Benton recorded the LP with Japanese Breakfast’s Craig Hendrix, and it’s inspired by a bad breakup. We’ve posted the early songs “In A Dream” and “Friend,” and now Benton has shared the new single “Hard To Accept.”

“Hard To Accept” has a bit of a War On Drugs vibe, with Dave Benton riffing on the adult-contempo synth-rock of the late ’80s and early ’90s without losing his sense of direct DIY intimacy. Alyx and Sam Soard directed the lightly surreal video, in which Benton encounters a mysterious, colorful figure. Here’s what Benton says about the song:

[“Hard To Accept”] reflects on those moments when communication breaks down in a relationship and we’re left to piece everything together. When I brought the song to Craig, I was excited to collaborate with him because of his impressive work on the Japanese Breakfast records. I thought his arranging instincts would be a good match, and we quickly got to work crafting the rhythm section arrangement. In our first recording session together, munching on dried mango and blueberries, Craig and I breathed new life into “Hard to Accept” with a vibrant, danceable quality while being careful to maintain its emotionality. He really took his time with my vocal, capturing breath and air in the recording that made the performance sound more intimate. I think we were able to strike a balance between the heavy feelings and a more upbeat, cathartic vibe—combining tears, laughter, and a sort of defiant, night-drive-blasting-music, “No, really… I’m good” attitude.

Check out the video below.

Into The Burning Blue is out 9/27 via Lame-O.