Cullen Omori’s debut album New Misery comes out next Friday, March 18th, but you can listen to the album in it’s entirety right now via Stereogum.

Stereogum says of the album, “With its romantic melodies, delicate lyrics, and dreamy sounds, New Misery radiates the warmth of a spring day and the enamored freshness of a new love…In songs like “And Yet The World Still Turns” and “Synthetic Romance,” Omori’s pristine voice shimmers over elaborate synths and profound keys, capturing his developed pop sound. Meanwhile, songs like “LOM” and “No Big Deal” feature a danceable guitar that bleeds and blends, creating impressive, twinkling rhythms (see album premiere March 11th).”

Earlier this week, Cullen Omori also shared “Synthetic Romance” from New Misery.  i-D says of the track, “The enigmatic frontman’s taste for bubblegum pop (and just regular bubble gum) has resulted in a standout clutch of solo tracks that he can truly call his own (see track premiere March 8th).”

Omori began working on solo material in early 2014 which has now fully materialized as New Misery, a collection of 11 songs building upon his own musical past while reaching towards the future of what guitar rock could be. His songs marry dark yet blissful pop with vocal melodies and hooks that are at once immediate yet demand to be heard again and again.

Cullen Omori’s previously announce spring tour schedule in support of New Misery resumes March 14th in Columbia, MO at Rose Hall and currently ends April 24th in Toronto, ON at Horseshoe Tavern.He’s also appear at the 2016 edition of SXSW in Austin, Texas (March 16t-19th).  Complete tour dates are below.

New Misery will be available on CD / LP / DL / CASS worldwide next Friday, March 18th, and you can pre-order it now through Sub Pop Mega Mart, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon and Bandcamp. LP pre-orders though megamart.subpop.com will receive the limited “Loser” edition on clear vinyl with black, white and gold swirls (while supplies last).

More on Cullen Omori:
“I had this overwhelming feeling that perhaps the apex of my life both as a musician and as an individual would be relegated to five years in my late teens/early 20s,” says Cullen Omori, who was launched into the music industry when the Smith Westerns, who started in high school in Chicago, became fast-rising indie stars. “This fear really forced me to work hard as to not see the Smith Westerns as an end but as a point along a bigger trajectory.”

While New Misery grew out of a difficult personal and professional time for Omori, he says the title reflects “not so much the distress that comes with failure, but the troubles and complexities that come with any type of success. No matter what you get you’re going to want more, you’re going to want something different. That’s the catch.”

The title track is a dreamy, resonant reflection on these feelings, but is also a guidepost for Omori’s musical evolution. “The song starts slow and then builds with two solos,” he says. “There’s the guitar solo which is very much a Smith Westerns thing. The next solo is on the keyboard, which is a shift to a lot of what I’m trying to do.” Synths play a much larger role in Omori’s new music than in the Smith Westerns’ guitar-fueled rock, as do a wide range of influences including Roxy Music, INXS, Spiritualized, Wilco, Garbage, Hall & Oates, Kate Bush, U2, and Sparks. There’s also a more deliberate pop streak, inspired by the top-40 radio that would play while Omori worked at a medical supply company cleaning stretchers and wheelchairs (read more at Sub Pop).”

What people are saying about Cullen Omori:
“Shimmering beauty” [“Cinnamon”/ “New Music of the Day”] - NME

“It’s bittersweet, blissful pop with an ’80s hue - vocal melodies and hooks that are at once immediate yet demand to be heard again and again. Job well done, Cullen.” [“Cinnamon”] - The 405

“Sour Silk” is the combination of sounds you weren’t sure could be mixed, blended into a song that sounds both effortless and endlessly faceted.” [“Sour Silk”] - Stereogum

“His songs marry dark yet blissful pop with vocal melodies and hooks that are at once immediate yet demand to be heard again and again.” [“Sour Silk”] - Northern Transmissions

“Led by dreamy, glimmering guitars, it takes Smith Westerns’ knack for a poppy hook to the next level.” [“Cinnamon”] - Consequence of Sound

Tour Dates
Mar. 14 - Columbia, MO - Rose Hall
Mar. 15 - Norman, OK - Opolis
Mar. 16 - Austin, TX - SXSW - Waterloo Records Day Party (4pm)
Mar. 17 - Austin, TX - SXSW - Under The Radar Day Party / Flamingo Cantina (1:35pm)
Mar. 17 - Austin, TX - SXSW - Paradigm Showcase / The Parish (midnight)
Mar. 18 - Austin, TX - SXSW - Sub Pop Showcase / Blackheart Bar (midnight)
Mar. 19- Austin, TX - SXSW - Urban Outfitters Day Party (4pm)
Mar. 24 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall*
Mar. 25 - Madison, WI - High Noon*
Mar. 26 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry*
Mar. 28 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge*
Mar. 29 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge*
Mar. 30 - Boise, ID - Neurolux*
Apr. 01 - Seattle, WA - Barboza*
Apr. 02 - Vancouver, BC - Fortune Sound Club*
Apr. 03 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir*
Apr. 05 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent*
Apr. 07 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom*
Apr. 08 - San Diego, CA - Casbah*
Apr. 09 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar*
Apr. 11 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s Jr*
Apr. 12 - Dallas, TX - Prophet Bar*
Apr. 13 - Houston, TX - Raven Tower*
Apr. 15 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl*
Apr. 16 - Nashville, TN - High Watt*
Apr. 17 - Columbus, OH - The Basement*
Apr. 18 - Washington, DC - DC9*
Apr. 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle*
Apr. 21 - Allston, MA - Great Scott*
Apr. 22 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*
Apr. 23 - Montreal, QC - Le Divan Orange*
Apr. 24 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern*
*w/ Living Hour

Tour ticket links are here.