Alex G (aka the Philadelphia musician born Alex Giannascoli) has said that Lucinda Williams is one of his favorite songwriters. His affinity for her simple, honest songs shines through in his art: Even though he traffics in harsh noise and vintage rock, his best work is often understated. He channels that sparseness in his new single, “Bobby,” a loping piece of mud-caked Americana—his most explicitly country-leaning song to date.

Over weepy strings, a lonesome slide guitar, and some tack-sharp banjo work, he and his frequent collaborator Emily Yacina sing about romantic discontent and a lover whose “hands are cold” and “breath is smoke.” They also make references to bleeding and burning, and how they’d rip it all up and “leave him for you” without hesitation. Alex G has been this lonely, isolated, and bottom-of-the-bottle before, but the country form of “Bobby” allows for a little more comfort. He offers salvation in a distant fiddle, a twanging guitar, and the voice of an old friend.