Felix Walworth, the main man behind the indie band Told Slant, has said that the forthcoming album What’s Up is explicitly a “New York record.” The artistic conviction is determined enough that the promotional imagery associated with the release seems to deliberately call back to Lou Reed’s classic 1989 album, New York. There are far worse models a modern creator could follow. “Draw Blood,” the new single from the album, call to mind a different comparison for me. It sounds a little like the National had they fallen under the sway of Jim O’Rourke at some point. The mood is heavy (“And with this breath polluted/ I hold in my lungs/ I curse your disciples/ And pray for the flood”), and the vibe is intoxicating.

The new album from Told Slant, What’s Up, is scheduled for release in September.