On Friday, PJ Sauerteig (aka Slow Dakota) will release his new album Tornado Mass for Voice & Synthesizer, a record which seems perfectly fitting for uncertain times even if it wasn't planned that way.

The new album is premiering today on Variance, giving an early listen of the LP, which is at times mystical and enchanting, other times dark and haunting, as Sauerteig's voice sometimes draws hints of Death Cab frontman Ben Gibbard with flares The National's Matt Berninger.

"Timing is everything, isn’t it?" says Sauerteig. "I started writing Tornado Mass years ago, about the custom of small, rural communities coming together to rebuild after deadly tornado strikes. Donating food, showing up to volunteer, expecting nothing in return. It’s a very beautiful and holy thing to witness back home in the Midwest. It feels strange to release the album in this cultural moment of COVID, wrought with destruction on a much more global scale."

He continues: "I have no intention of capitalizing on grief, or making a political statement. If anything, the coincidental timing reminds me (and will perhaps remind others) of the cosmic power of neighborliness, stoic compassion, magical thinking. Showing up not necessarily because we want to, but because if we do not, the tornado wins."

Hear the full album below.