Love has tied him in knots. With “Once Again,” honky-tonk troubadour Ashley Harding regales a tale about a relationship gone sour. The push and pull nearly snaps him in two, yet he returns in that sad orbit once again. “You’ve got me where you want me once again,” he sings. “You seem to break the rules and I’m your fool again.”

The two-stepper serves as a sterling showcase for Harding’s vocal chops. His reedy timbre scoots across the dance-hall floor, the song’s dustiness ripe for a line dance. As the song progresses, the emotional toll grows greater, almost driving him mad. “It’s a little unclear, but I think we’ve been here before,” he sings. “It’s the way that you act and the bags you have packed by the door / You call me suspicious for calling you out / You’re filled with anger when I’m filled with doubt.”

“Once Again” is ripped from Harding’s debut album, Spoon Music, now out everywhere.

Listen to “Once Again” below.

On Facebook, Harding took to celebrating the musicians who contributed to the record. Those include Brinley Hall (drums, background vocals), Daniel W. Sinclair (keys), and Bradley Harper (pedal steel). Originally from Wales, the singer-songwriter fuses folk with Americana and roots music. That’s not more evident than with his 12-song debut, featuring other such standouts as “Become,” “Town Called Hell,” and “To the Light.”