“Yellow Eyes,” the new single from acclaimed singer, songwriter and performer Rayland Baxter, premiered today at NPR Music and can now be purchased at iTunes. You can pre-order his upcoming album Imaginary Man (Out Aug. 14) NOW.

Of the song, NPR Music’s Ann Powers praises, “Many musicians can craft about one-third of an excellent pop song. Some write beautiful bare melodies that drip into your head like honey into cake. Others are masters of tone, using genius arrangements and technical wizardry to craft a sound that transports, no matter the shape of the tune. Still others employ wit to craft characters that feel like friends. Rarely, a musician manages to do all three. On the new ‘Yellow Eyes,’ Rayland Baxter comes pretty darn close to such perfection.”

The song is from Baxter’s anticipated new full-length album, Imaginary Man, which will be released August 14 and is now available for pre-order.

Recorded in Nashville, the 11-track album was produced by Adam Landry (Deer Tick, Diamond Rugs) and Eric Masse (Andrew Combs, Robert Ellis) and features Bucky Baxter on pedal steel as well as Jessie Baylin, Isaaca Byrd (MYZICA), Mikky Ekko, Jordan Lehning (Caitlin Rose, Steelism) and Matt Vazquez (Delta Sprit) on background vocals.

Of the album, Baxter comments, “To me, Imaginary Man is an audible record of my journey down the bright blue river of imagination. It is a multicolored dream of song, a sonic birdbath if you may. The sounds and songs are as visual as they are tactile and it shows a bit more of who I have become as an artist, as continual and never ending as that process is.”

Imaginary Man follows Baxter’s highly praised debut feathers & fishHooks, which was released in 2012. Since then, Baxter has toured alongside Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Kacey Musgraves, The Head and the Heart, Shakey Graves, Boz Scaggs and Tedeschi Trucks Band, among many others. In celebration of the new album, Baxter will embark on a series of tour dates this summer and fall, including an appearance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. See below for more details. Additional dates to be announced shortly.

IMAGINARY MAN TRACK LISTING

1. Mr. Rodriguez

2. Oh My Captain

3. Mother Mother

4. Yellow Eyes

5. Rugged Lovers

6. Young Man

7. All In My Head

8. Freakin Me Out

9. Memories Of Old Hickory

10. Your Love

11. Lady Of The Desert

RAYLAND BAXTER TOUR DATES

June 10—Nashville, TN—Basement East

June 23—Bergen, Norway—Ole Bull Teater*

June 24—Oslo, Norway—Vulkan Arena*

June 25—Trondheim, Norway—Byscenen*

June 26—Ostersund, Sweden—Gamla Teatern*

June 27—Uppsala, Sweden—Katalin*

June 28—Stockholm, Sweden—Mosebacke Establissement*

June 30—Falkenberg, Sweden—Hwitan*

July 3—Berlin, Germany—Monarch Berlin

July 24 & 25—Floyd, VA—Floydfest

August 6—Boulder, CO—Triple A Radio Conference

August 25—Sparta, KY—Nifi Festival

October 2-4— Austin, TX—Austin City Limits Music Festival

October 9-11—Austin, TX—Austin City Limits Music Festival

January 6-9—Miami, Belize City, Cozumel—Jam Cruise

*as part of the Rolling Rootsy Review