Cody Jinks is never one for pretense, but he cuts to the quick on moody slow-burner “Must Be the Whiskey,” the no-nonsense new single from his just announced LP, Lifers.

The first song to receive an official release from Lifers – the eighth album from the thrash-metal singer turned indie-country outlaw – chugs along with a martial, and somewhat sinister, focus. “I got ‘I love you’ on my mind, I got Jim Beam on my breath,” Jinks sings with seemingly clear-eyed honesty — or least self-laceration — as he tries to assess how he landed his latest relationship on the rocks.

Read more about his new single and upcoming album here.