What do you get when you cross a bunch of conservatory trained musicians with a Grammy-winning sound engineer? Well, awesome music, of course. Dumb jokes aside, Rochester-based four-piece Talking Under Water came out swinging with their debut EP last December, Tossing & Turning, garnering comparisons to such heavy hitters as the Black Keys and Cage the Elephant.

In advance of their sophomore release, due out this spring, look below for a sneak preview of their newest track, “Ether.” Like the group itself, the song takes off sprinting, with frenetic drums and guitar paving the way for jangling keyboard and blues-tinged vocals, galloping into a clapping crescendo. The group’s singer/songwriter/keyboardist Dave Chisolm leads with an evocative, powerful swagger, strong enough to balance out the heavy, layered instrumentation featuring Elise Hughey on cello and Alex Patrick on guitar. Rounding out the sound is Stephen Roessner, the band’s drummer and resident Grammy winner, who mixed the album. The multi-instrumentation is a big factor in the band’s hard-to-classify sound, which seems to effortlessly blend and reinterpret genres, while staying firmly planted in rock roots.

Give “Ether” a listen below: