Palehound Announces Fifth Album, You Sing Like You're Joking, for February 5

Palehound, the project of musician El Kempner, has announced a fifth album called You Sing Like You're Joking. Rolling Stone reported that the record is set for release on February 5 through Polyvinyl, an independent label.

It is the first full-length album from Palehound since 2023's Eye on the Bat, a gap of nearly four years. The new record has nine tracks: "Incisions," "Hourglass," "The Midwest," "Patio," "Natural Disasters," "Target," "Color," "Sum of Our Days" and "Sleep Through Anything."

The album arrived with a single, also called "Natural Disasters." Releasing one song ahead of the full record is a common part of an album rollout, the marketing run that builds interest before a release date. The video for the single was directed by Rachel Brown, the vocalist of the band Water From Your Eyes.

The credits show a small group of collaborators. Kempner co-produced the album with Julian Fader and Katie Von Schleicher, a role that covers shaping the sound in the studio, from arrangements to the final mix. Nick Hakim also contributed to the record.

For listeners, the single is the first chance to hear the new material. The full album, with its nine songs, is due in early February, when the rest of the tracklist can be heard in order.

Independent labels such as Polyvinyl handle many releases like this one, with artists keeping closer control over timing and distribution than major label deals often allow. Details such as tour dates and physical formats have not been announced so far.