Since Michael Dahlquist's unfortunate, untimely, and unnecessary passing last summer, my affinity for his work in Silkworm has only grown. The band showed no signs of losing steam, growing bored, or interpersonal tension, and likely could have put out excellent records until their grandkids started their own bands in tribute. It didn't surprise me when Tim Midgett and Andy Cohen decided to forge ahead with a new band, but I nevertheless approached Bottomless Pit with a slight bit of apprehension. Would I be able to get over Dahlquist's absence? Would they?

My answer didn't come with Bottomless Pit's performance in Boston this past Friday, which I missed in part because of that apprehension (but mostly because of the inflated Boston ticket price for headliners Magnolia Electric Company), but with the band's posting of four songs on their web site. Recent memory can't produce a hand-hits-forehead moment like this one. These songs are superbly crafted and as moving as anything Silkworm recorded. Judging from the elegiac sweep of "Human Out of Me" and the restained optimism of the 1980s New Order vibe of "The Cardinal Movements," Tim Midgett takes this turn as a chance to reflect upon the past, musically and personally. "Those dreams are neverending / I know it's always hard to hear," Midgett sings with stoic grace. Andy Cohen's "Dead Man's Blues" lurks and seethes with his usual vigor, highlighting his interplay with newfound guitarist Midgett, while sighs "I saw the connection there / On the way down / Missed our connection there / On our way down" before a surge of cathartic guitars. The new rhythm section—former Seam drummer Chris Manfrin and .22 bassist Brian Orchard—fills in admirably, trading off Dahlquist's enormous footprint and Midgett's expressive bass lines for a more streamlined approach.