With a phenomenally muted presence that evokes a downtrodden road of love past and the introspective loneliness following it, Americana act Don Tigra truly gets to the heart of the matter with their latest, “How I Used To Try.”

Don Tigra frontman Stephen Gordon ambles over the track’s morosely picked guitar with the best of them, reminding one of an early cut from Golden Smog. Gordon is palpably weary as he retraces some deeply personal turmoil, illustrating a broken and deeply intimate look back into his woes.

“ ‘How I Used To Try’ was a voicing from within the suspension between love’s destruction, and its freedom,” said Gordon. “This song was a sigh of loneliness, which is an irony that still unfolds for me. How could something we desire bring so much that we resist? Does it mean it is not the thing we desire? Is there any peace that there may be no answer to that question?”

It’s restlessness that Don Tigra best plays to their strengths, drawing on the complexity of human nature and relationships while still providing a relatable narrative that one can sink their teeth into. Gordon and company provide an empathetic slice of American life on “How I Used To Try,” a track that will undoubtedly resound with the brokenhearted and help mend the wounds of those overcoming similar tribulations.

Don Tigra’s self-titled debut comes out April 29. For more information, visit the band’s site.

– Jake Tully