Mannequin Pussy are in a constant waltz with chaos, struggling to contain it and riding its inevitable outbursts with equal fervor. On “Drunk II,” the lead single from the Philadelphia rock quartet’s third full-length and Epitaph debut Patience, the band approach this dance with a newfound focus. With the help of indie producer Will Yip, Mannequin Pussy polish their feverish rock into something more traditionally melodic.

“Drunk II” opens on guitarist and vocalist Marisa Dabice in a post-breakup mania, evading despair by drinking and partying to excess. But despite her best efforts to self-anesthetize, sadness breaks through. “I still love you, you stupid fuck,” she barks with a bittersweet grimace. Yet the song quickly reveals itself to be more than sloshed yearning: Atop a melancholic and measured riff, Dabice wrangles with her behavior, revealing vulnerability with an intimate wistfulness: “And everyone says to me/‘Missy, you’re so strong!’/But what if I don’t want to be?”

As Dabice unburdens herself of frustration, the band swells to an astringent high, and her anguished voice suddenly picks up a second track. “I am alone,” she murmurs, simultaneously shouting over herself: “Everyone gather round, I have the answer now.”