Anyone who recalls the indie golden years of the mid-2000s might recall the hippie collective Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, fronted by a bearded ring leader in one-piece underwear and barefeet. Well, that character is one in the same Alex Ebert who has undergone something of a sonic transformation although his signature eccentricity and glorious facial hair remain in tact. ‘Gold’ is a left-field hip-hop and experimental electronic take on the Midas Touch myth from the Greek pantheon; on the surface, it’s the story of King Midas who wished that everything he touched would turn to gold, not thinking of the true consequences, and on a deeper level, it’s a fable of what happens when happiness is taken for granted. This is something that hasn’t escaped the notice of Ebert, who says “To me there’s something inherently absurd and almost comical about how much effort it takes to feel truly happy in this world. As someone who is often seen as a jubilant celebrationist, I thought it’d be the decent thing to let ya’ll know that I stumble and fail at this shit all day.  Gold’s lyrics are basically a laundry list of self-help techniques I’ve tried and forgotten and then tried again. Life is tough, society is tougher, and my own brain can be the absolute cruelest. It’s all a wonderful video game crucible with true freedom as the prize for transcending - I’ve beat the game of life many times over in a day only to lose it as many times and have to work to regain it again.” For the video, Ebert teamed up with director Noaz Deshe for an absurd and wonderful visual of the artist skate-surfing through the streets on New Orleans in Cleopatra-esque headgear and open trench coat. ‘Gold’, along with released tracks ‘Automatic Youth’ and ‘Hand’s Up’, is a taste of what’s to come on Alex Ebert’s two-part double album due this autumn. - Hannah Thacker