Willis Earl Beal is on his own, and apparently doing just fine. The Chicago singer’s third album Experiments in Time is set to show up in early August, and we’ve just gotten our first taste. Give “Traveling Eyes” a listen below.

Willis Earl Beal isn’t exactly a stranger to self-promotion. When most of us start feeling a little lonely we hit the bars, clubs, and (let’s be real) OKCupid. Beal took a different tack while hunting for love. He left hand-illustrated flyers around town offering a song for a call. No idea if it worked for him, but it gives you some insight into the kind of guy Beal is. So when he recently parted ways with his label and announced plans to self-release his upcoming album, you got the feeling that there was a grander plan behind the move.

There was, and there is. Beal’s decision to strike out on his own was motivated by his own disenchantment with the music industry, and it looks like the move is working. His first single, “Traveling Eyes” is out, and it’s a beauty. Described by Beal as a “lo-fi symphony”, it’s music perfectly suited to a solo producer and artist. Here’s hoping the rest lives up to this very high standard.