Although you might not always think about it, a song is a lot like a novel or movie. There’s a beginning, rising action leading to the climax of the experience, and an outro that brings things to a close. Not every song has those parts laid out crystal clear, but that general idea is always there. When a song does have those parts identifiable, it can aid in leading listeners on an incredible journey. New York band Color Tongue are experts at this, as is proven by their new single “Feathers.” Substream is premiering the new song this morning, so prepare yourself to be carried away.

An incredibly mellow guitar with minimal percussion brings us into the world of “Feathers.” Not until we’re comfortably settled into this repeating musical idea do the lyrics begin. The harmonies are perfectly pitched and delivered lightly at first to still ease us into Color Tongue’s vision. Don’t worry though, the song picks up and reaches a colorful zenith midway through. The middle of “Feathers” comes with about two minutes still remaining in the track, and Color Tongue brilliantly constructed the song to still give listeners an exciting outro while still thinking about all the musical ideas they laid out in the beginning minutes.

If you’d like something to visualize in your head while listening to “Feathers,” you should know Color Tongue explain the song by saying “This song was influenced by the birds of paradise segment in Planet Earth…the idea of attraction through performance.”

You can listen to “Feathers” below. The song is taken from Color Tongue’s upcoming EP Bealing Bells, which is due out later this month.