Sitting down to record his latest album, Todd Gautreau says he “[attempted] to make a more optimistic record. . . see if I could construct more universal pop songs.” Gautreau’s band, the Dallas-based Crushed Stars, isn’t exactly a project known for its uplifting ditties. Still, with a vocal quality hinting at Michael Stipe’s more down-beat moments and a musicality echoing Red House Painters, there is something universal about the new album, In The Bright Rain.

As per usual, much of the instruments on In The Bright Rain were played by Gautreau himself, while guests Jeff Ryan (St. Vincent, War on Drugs), Howard Draper (Okkervil River, Shearwater), and Buffi Jacobs (The Polyphonic Spree) pitched in.

For an early taste, have a listen to the sullen “Window”. On the surface, the track’s downtempo guitars and emotionally despondent vocals paint a bleak picture. Yet just underneath all that misery is a burst of sunshine-colored pop waiting to break out. Check it out below.

Crushed Stars – “Window”

In The Bright Rain, produced by Stuart Sikes (Cat Power, White Stripes, Modest Mouse), is out March 6th via Simulacra Records.