Joseph the Worker paints a picture of obsession and intimacy in “Molly Mayhem”

Joseph the Worker conjures an electrifying mix of vulnerability and soundscapes with his new single, “Molly Mayhem.” Operating in the sweet spot between indie rock and acoustic shoegaze. Joseph doesn’t take the name so much as he takes hold of it, builds an entire world around it. In “Molly Mayhem,” we hear it from the other side of a locked door, straining our ears and getting jumpy at the sound of footsteps. Molly becomes a symbol of chaos and intensity, a type of love that is as painful as it is magnetic.

There’s an obsession, an intimacy, and a narrator who’s drawn to and overwhelmed by the presence on the other side. The song’s sonic palette perfectly reflects this emotional push and pull. The acoustic guitar sets a fragile base, and soft synth swells and understated bass lines build a sense of stillness, like a frozen lake gorgeous but also hiding that deep, cold water underneath. Modest and uncomplicated drums supply just enough motive power without shattering the fragile reverie. Fans of Slowdive’s Dagger will find a sense of suspended, drawn out melancholy here, but Joseph brings his voice, his scars and his quietly recounted stories.

Joseph uses Molly as a vessel through which he can consider his own backstory to characterize intimate encounters so that listeners will see themselves in them. There’s a thin line between love and damage, and this song sits exactly in that fuzzy middle space. The emotional rawness behind each note makes “Molly Mayhem” so captivating. It allows you to lean in and feel the frost on the windowsill and the warmth remaining in a fading memory. In “Molly Mayhem,” Joseph the Worker reminds us that independent music can still surprise. It’s an after-hours and unnameable hours record.