NYC cosmic Americana group, The Royal Arctic Institute, has just announced that their self-titled fourth LP will be released on Centripetal Force Records on May 2. Their signature big sky, Sergio Leone-fed through rock instruments-like sound is more vivid, striking and grander in scope than ever before.

Available now for preorder, the instrumental record features the current lineup of Lyle Hysen (Das Damen, Arthur Lee) on drums, guitarists John Leon (Roky Erickson, Summer Wardrobe, Abra Moore) and Chris Robertson (Elk City, James Mastro), and David Motamed (Das Damen, Two Dollar Guitar, Arthur Lee, Townes Van Zandt) on bass. The band leans far into the elements that set them apart from all of the other bands that operate within the cosmic Americana/ambient country universe, so expect pedal steel-rich noir jazz atmospheres, psilocybin-fueled southwestern dirtscapes and delicate meditations on pure, glasslike tones. Between its cinematic vibes and melted down twang, the album often conjures up images and scenes that could belong in a film like The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, or Dead Man. Check out the slowly chugging rhythm, creeping surf guitar and sweeping pedal steel of the record’s first released track, “Twigs of Cities, Feathers of Sobs,” for a great example of this:

Lastly, if you’re a longtime RCU reader, then you probably know RAI well from our past coverage and their appearances on The Record Crates United Mixtape. In fact, here’s the band playing as a trio at our Porch Fest show back in October:

Click here to preorder RAI’s new album on limited edition vinyl, CD or digital.

-KH