caroline is one of those young British bands with so many members (eight) that they might as well hire a secretary just to schedule meetings. The London-based octet first started as the post-punk duo of Casper Hughes and Jasper Llewellyn, then expanded over the years to include old friends and new collaborators. Along the way, they began dipping into Midwest emo, Appalachian folk, and contemporary classical music, leading to their current sound, a kind of sprawling and pensive post-rock with pastoral elegance.

Their band’s latest single, from their upcoming self-titled debut, is a wistful six-minute track that was written around the time of the 2017 UK general election. A surprise surge by the Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour Party, for which several members of caroline had canvassed, offered hope about the future of socialism in Britain. Imbued with quiet optimism, “Good morning (red)” leads with gentle guitar and the misty wheeze of violin, as Llewellyn murmurs knowingly, “It’s that time again.” Far in the background, you can faintly hear Hughes yelling, “can I be happy in this world?” The song is split into two parts, and a little after the three minute mark, it nearly winds to a halt and takes on the character of a warm-up session, silent beyond the occasional drum hit, a low bass note, or a little fidget on the guitar. Things don’t seem as politically bright as they did back then, but caroline provide an ideal soundtrack for the reflection needed to push forward again.