It’s summer right now in New Zealand, and I’m sure the new Ruby Suns single, “Cranberry,” would sound more appropriate down there, at least when compared against our soggy January forecast. But if musical escapism is your chosen bummer-cure, you’re in luck—you'd be hard pressed to ask for a better prescription than this radiant banger.

Here’s my play-by-play for “Cranberry”:

Two complementary carnival-esque synth lines provide the song’s initial hook, rising, propellant (and skillfully panned) over a busy percussive loop. The Ruby Suns’ mad genius Ryan McPhun chimes in with a catchy wordless melody before these elements abruptly (albeit gracefully) drop out, and the song switches to a slower tempo. The listener is treated to some murky, wind-like noises right out of Sea Lion’s dense and textured playbook before some aggressive synth notes cut in, all retro-tinged and staccato—the very embodiment of the term “synth stabs.” McPhun reappears with an über-poppy verse melody, and a brief, warped bridge carries us to the bombastic chorus.

I won’t delve any further into the song’s structural merits, but it’s worth praising its elasticity. “Cranberry” has enough smart maneuvers to keep its pop formula wily and unpredictable, and all the instruments and sounds at play seem to be in dazzling equilibrium.

This bodes well for Fight Softly, The Ruby Suns’ third full-length, due March 2nd from Sub Pop. I only wish the song didn’t trail off (the mp3 that showed up yesterday is a radio edit) right on the cusp of another transformation, this time buoyed by a flurry of acoustic plucks.