The swirling “nervous soul” masterpiece gets an artsy video.

One of our favorite CMJ performances came from the New York six-piece, and the title track from this year’s Ice Level was one of the major reasons why.

The song works in two parts, and so does the video, which was directed by bandleader/songwriter Carlos Hernandez. “I wanted to tell a little story, where Becca (our leading lady) escapes from a sticky situation. The trusty narrator (yours truly) watches, from a dark, geometrical vantage point, as a social scenario plays out. I love parties! Especially when everyone is invited.”

That would be Becca Kaufman, one of the group’s vocalists/musicians, who is featured on the song. In the video, Kaufman is bathed in projected light and shadow before she must navigate a bizarre costume party. Meanwhile, Hernandez assembles a still life / dinner table with a Monolith centerpiece; the clip is as tricky to decipher as his statement about it.

We recently spoke with the band about about their influences, their songwriting constraints, and the importance of vocal harmonies.