John Joseph Brill enchants on melancholic synthpop tune "Smoke"

Brill's devilish baritone is inescapable, and on past material it's helped forge links to classic singer/songwriters and whiskey-soaked Americana merchants - but in a synth setting it leads Brill down a very different path, closer to Future Islands than anyone else. Chiming, pastel-shaded electro pop sits beside Brill's gorgeous vocals, whisking you to neon bars and midnight-drenched city street. It's impassioned and introspective (that's a definite constant between Brill's phases), but this is also invigorating; "Smoke" is another exciting stride in a new direction.

"'Smoke' is a confessional song about escapism," explains Brill. "A song about running towards your vices to keep yourself away from the truth of your own broken heart. I wrote it in the midst of this exact behaviour while on tour in Germany last year, it's a time I'm not proud of but writing the record was incredibly therapeutic for me and I feel like I've learned a lot about forgiving myself."

As well as "Smoke", the EP will feature last month's "A Place To Drown" and February's "I'm Not Alright".

Brill has also detailed a new headline date at London's The Lexington on 20 November