On February 11, one of Dripping Springs' best exports, singer-songwriter Ben Kweller, gifted fans a wistful new song to play on repeat while staring at the ceiling and making unimpassioned convenience store runs. Now a music video brings "Dollar Store (Feat. Waxahatchee)" to life — or to ennui, if you want to get technical with it.

This single was a collaborative effort with Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee, who provided vocals, and Modern Love Child (Jonny Shane), who co-wrote the song. This track is drenched in 90s sound, and commenters on YouTube couldn't resist drawing tons of parallels; among the comparisons were Elliott Smith, the Smashing Pumpkins, Red House Painters, Ultra Vivid Scene with Kim Deal, and more.

To raise a couple more comparisons, the repeating guitar riff calls to mind Built to Spill in its full, warm tone and delicate fretboard taps, and Dinosaur Jr. in its pointed, percussive strumming. The half-murmured vocals closely matched in octaves by Waxahatchee just scream Jeff Tweedy (if they could be said to scream at all), as does casually sweet melody that tumbles into being as if it's being spoken.

A suddenly heavy outro might surprise someone who hasn't gorged themself on all the above artists, but even when expected the catharsis is delicious.

"Dollar Store" is the second single from Kweller's upcoming album Cover The Mirrors, his first release since the sudden passing of his son Dorian Zev in 2023. He was 16 years old, and also a musician.

"It started with a guitar riff that came to me while noodling around in drop-D on Dorian’s bed," wrote Kweller when introducing the song on Instagram. "A few weeks later, Jonny (Modern Love Child) was visiting the ranch and after writing a song for his album, I showed him the riff and away we went. We finished writing “Dollar Store” after a few hours and it begged for a high octave duet vocal. So I sent the track over to Katie (Waxahatchee) who, despite being one of the busiest people in music, made time to record her sweet voice on here which brought the emotion to a whole new level."

The music is evocative enough on its own, but the video, shot at the Heart of Texas Motel on Route 290 and a generic-looking convenience store, frames it with images of lassitude: two people (Kweller appears, but Crutchfield doesn't) in a hotel room in the daytime with curtains closed, anxiously fiddling with a straw wrapper, a coin, or a box of matches. The only briefly passionate interruptions are of Kweller furiously strumming a guitar in the bathroom or watching concert footage.

"This song is a battle between moving forward and wallowing in your sadness forever," Kweller wrote. "Anxiety, boredom, hopelessness – all these things consume me from time to time, especially after I lost Dorian. Collaborating with friends has not only made this new music more magickal, but it also makes my life more bearable. I’m reminded of how all of you came alongside Lizzy and I when we were at our lowest. I’m forever grateful to you."

This echoes a commitment Kweller made about a week after Dorian's death to continue creating in his honor while mourning rather than falling into silence. Cover The Mirrors will be released May 30, Dorian's 19th birthday.

To mark the album's release, Kweller is embarking on a North American tour. The first leg runs from April 15 through a homecoming show on May 3 at Austin's Scoot Inn; it also includes a stop in Dallas on May 2. The second leg runs from July 10-26. Cheese Touch, a new project for Superorganism’s Orono Noguchi, will open the Austin show.

"Dollar Store (Feat. Waxahatchee)" is streaming on Spotify, where listeners can also pres-save Cover The Mirrors. It will also be available as a CD or vinyl LP. Tickets ($37.50) for the Cover The Mirrors Tour are available via Live Nation.