Frontman Lewis Beard describes his new Zero Beach project as a “big guitars pop/rock outfit,” and I’m certainly not going to dispute that. Featuring former members of hook-heavy Athens groups the District Attorneys and Party Dolls, most listeners would expect the band to come charging out of the gate with boisterous anthems. But Beard himself is a bit of a wildcard. While the veteran songwriter has always maintained a strong focus on melody, until now his approach has been more subtle and acoustic-driven. With Zero Beach, however, he’s made the decision to cut loose and crank out full-throttle songs that are far bigger and louder than what he’s assembled in the past.

“Archimedes” is the second single from the group’s upcoming three-song debut, Six Guns, and it’s feisty rocker that allows bassist Reid Scott and drummer Rob Lawrence to lurk in the pocket while Beard and his brother Walker alternate between the rollicking riff that opens the song and the moody guitars that drive the verses. According to Beard, the song is the most straightforward and poppy on the EP, but when I ask him about the song’s meaning, he decides to play coy. “Relationships, destruction, and mathematic proofs all play a role, but that’s about all I can say for sure,” he explains via email. “I like that it’s left a little ambiguous.”

One thing that isn’t ambiguous, however, are Zero Beach’s musical intentions on the new EP. Recorded by Matt Goldman at Athens’ Glow in the Dark Studios, Six Guns was developed first and foremost as a roaring rock record, built for maximum impact. “The new record is a musical assault,” Beard says. “Big, multi-layered guitars, stacked harmonies, thundering rhythm section — the works… Future Zero Beach releases might be a bit more measured in terms of intensity, but we wanted to come out of the gate strong with this first triad of songs.”

Listen to “Archimedes” below.

Six Guns is out June 16 via Athens label Laser Brains.

Zero Beach will celebrate the release of Six Guns on Sat., June 17 at the Laser Brains 2017 Summer Showcase at the Family Dog. Also performing will be Cowboy Curtys, Blue Blood, Palace Doctor, Drew Beskin, and the Artisanals. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $10.

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