The General Assembly has been a vessel for Matt Wicking's music since 2009. There was one album, 2017's Vanishing Point. It brought together a few unlikely musical worlds — muscular, beautifully confident melodies delivered in baritone, soundscapes that conjure wide scenes of nature, and lyrics rooted in folk storytelling: think Depeche Mode falling for Eno-esque sound design and making an album of collaborations with Grizzly Bear or Fleet Foxes.

And then a diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome took Matt out of music and most of ordinary life for nine years. Happily, now he has come back with a new lineup and an updated sound showcased on the fresh-out-of-the-oven record Goodbye Nostalgia. The vision is completely the band's own, but if I had to describe it to an unsuspecting potential fan, I'd say: imagine Cigarettes After Sex with stadium-sized melodies, or Mumford & Sons embracing a more sincere approach and falling in love with synth sound design.