During a Twitter Q&A yesterday, Mike Hadreas of Perfume Genius described the mood of his upcoming album No Shape: “It’s approaching beauty and warmth and joy, but there’s always something unsettling, bubbling below.” If the first single “Slip Away” lavished noise like gilt, his new track “Go Ahead” moves beneath the surface. There’s barely a melody here, only the ominous rumble of drum pads and buried electronics. Strings fill the empty space.

Hadreas sometimes sings like a 1950s crooner, presiding discordantly over nightmares. His presence offers a strange relief from the horror surrounding it. The lyrics of “Go Ahead” negotiate between confidence and fear: “Now watch me/Watch me walk on by/ Honestly/Next one won’t be free/Go ahead and try.” Hadreas draws out words with a shiver, vamping amidst every abrupt shift. He sounds defiant, anxious, and then flirtatious: “If you need, you can even say a little prayer for me.”