Pedro the Lion hasn’t really been the most active band since David Bazan has been out doing solo works and more. Last year when a Pedro The Lion tour occurred, we were all shocked that it was actually happening. Now, with the new single “Yellow Bike” and a new album, Phoenix due January 18, it looks like the band is back in more ways than one.

Bazan could have taken the easy route and made the new song sound closer to his solo works, but where “Yellow Bike” shines is where it reminds you of what Pedro the Lion did on albums like Control and Achilles’ Heel. That slower emo based build, the lonely isolationist lyrics about youth with hints of underpinned sadness, it’s all here. The song feels like it picks up where the band left off, which is the best you can hope for.

You can stream the single on all streaming platforms including Bandcamp. You can preorder Phoenix directly from Polyvinyl Records in multiple formats and bundles before it drops on January 18. You can see Pedro the Lion on tour beginning November 16 at Wild Buffalo in Bellingham, Washington until February 24 at Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver. A complete list of tour dates can be found here.

Image Credits: Photo Courtesy of Paradigm.