With an elegant throwback folk-rock acoustic guitar line, the new track “Leaving the Party Early” opens with a dandy lyrical couplet: “Doctor, I’ve been pondering over which ailment to bring you/ If I’m only allowed to bring you one.” That fraught proclamation, fiercely modern and yet strangely timeless, is the product of British singer-songwriter Ellis Ford, who plies his wares under a project dubbed Trust Fund.

Aided in the song by lithe and delicate strings, Trust Fund brings a tang of dreamy psychedelia to the track. It’s effectively positioned as a proper, sterling entry on a lines of descendants that includes the likes of Nick Drake, Rodriguez, and Robyn Hitchcock. It’s lovely, melancholy, and a touch bittersweet.

Has It Been A While, the new album from Trust Fund, is scheduled for release in November.