I was lucky enough to receive a transmission from Italian musician Andrea Caccese a few days ago. Inside I found one of my favorite songs of the year so far. The Dead Rituals song “Closer” starts like a power pop cover of Mazzy Star and quickly evolves into an uptempo look at the back and forth of a relationship in various stages.

The video, featuring animation of Marian Obando, is amazing. The hand-drawn style makes for a very intimate feeling that compliments the song very well.

The song is part of a self-titled EP due out September 25th. I’ve listened to and enjoyed it a couple times already, and if you dig “Closer” you’re sure to find something to love in the other tunes.