Boston-based art-rock collective Jaggery make exquisite, lush music that challenges the ear as much as it captivates it. The storytelling, reflection, and contemplation are as audacious as the aesthetic that bolsters them.

Jaggery’s impending album, Crux, quickly approaches this week. It features unorthodox instrumentation, bold arrangements, and uncomforting lyrics, combining for an elevated experience that is still pleasurably within grasp. The unsettling opening wail of “War Cry” immediately signals a unique trip down an exigent path less traveled. “Garden” is a rich exploration of self and what it means to be human. The avant-jazz of “Raskolnikov,” Jaggery’s reimagining of the seminal novel Crime & Punishment, is intentionally unnerving with a beautiful, unresolved tension that evolves up until its curt ending.

Crux is not to be taken lightly, and thanks to its undeniable, anomalous appeal, it’s nearly impossible not to engage. Stream the album in its entirety below.

Tour dates:

06/21 Kingston, NY – BSP Lounge
06/22 Philadelphia, PA – TBA
06/23 Baltimore, MD – The Crown
06/24 Washington, DC – 16th Street House
06/25 Reidsville, NC – Brad & Tammy’s Listening Loft
06/27 Indianapolis, IN – 10 Johnson Avenue
06/28 Chicago, IL – Martyr’s
06/29 Detroit, MI – TBA
06/30 Toronto, ON – Transaz Club, Southern Cross Room
07/01 Buffalo, NY – Hickory Sanctuary
07/02 TBA
07/03 New York, NY – TBA

Crux is out 4/29. Pre-order is available here in multiple formats.