It’s only been a couple months since Ovlov released their first album in five years, the very good Tru, but frontman Steve Hartlett already has another album ready to go under his Stove moniker. Stove began a few years ago, after one of Ovlov’s many breakups, and Hartlett released the project’s debut album, Is Stupider, in 2015. He followed that up the next year with a pair of EPs, and along the way the group became less Hartlett’s own personal pursuit and more of a bonafide band.

Today, Stove are announcing their sophomore album, ‘s Favorite Friend. Hartlett is rounded out by drummer/vocalist Jordyn Blakely, bassist Alex Molini, and guitarist Mike Hammond. “Mosquiter,” its lead single, sounds like product of a band in conversational collaboration. It’s grounded by a beat that originally appeared on the demo of the song; Blakely’s drumming fills in between nicely, and the rest of the band build up textures that stop and stutter and unfurl throughout. Hartlett’s lyrics, which mix in a sticky-sweet duet with Blakey, are inscrutably heavy: “Peek inside your soul/ Dripping paint along the walls/ You feel the void that calls,” they sing.

Listen below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Safe Guy”
02 “Nightwalk”
03 “Stiff Bones”
04 “Favorite Friend”
05 “Duckling Fantasy”
06 “Difficult Dooley”
07 “Mosquiter”
08 “Liverwurst”
09 “Annoying Guy”
10 “They Are Dogs”
11 “Animortal”

‘s Favorite Friend is out 10/31 via Exploding In Sound Records. Pre-order it here.