You know what they say. “Comparison is the thief of joy,” and such. But, to the philosophers of the group, is joy really the only thing that’s stolen from us when we give way to comparison? Comparison, the evil burr embedded into the ribs of our identities, does a lot more than raid us of our happiness; it clouds our judgment, ransacks our personhood and begs us to confront our most deep rooted insecurities. Not so much a thief, but a killer, should we succumb to it.

Such is the message of BONES UK’s latest single, “Me,” accompanied by the duo's latest album, SOFT, which is out today. A scrappy rock band from Camden Town, London, BONES UK is an amalgamation of musical forces from Rosie Bones and Carmen Vandenburg. Having released the sultry single “Bikinis” earlier this summer, BONES UK smashes through themes of self-awareness and emotional intensity, championing individuality and the realities of being an imperfect being. BONES UK sings, “Come and take a look see/ It's the brand new sexy.”

Like the aforementioned “Bikinis,” “Me” also protects selfhood with a deep-riffed yet earnest crusade against comparison. Lyrics “I will never be you/ will never be me,” rise in harmony over a guitar-led track, where BONES UK brews an adamant campaign against the pitfalls of collating oneself to another. It’s a message we’ve heard before, “While you do you, I’ll be busy being me,” but BONES UK’s punkish tune is more of a demand than it is an ask. “Me” is unapologetically forward, offering the resolute conviction that being different is more valuable than being alike.

The single is matched by a music video that calls to mind the aesthetics and metaphors behind “Bikinis,” where Bones and Vandenburg are clad in silver armor. Clenching long blades, eyes covered in chainmail, the two women engage in what seems like a fight to the death: a clear nod to the single’s message. Meanwhile, “Me” finds them completely stripped down, wearing nothing but white tank tops, briefs and fur boxing gloves. Even in their natural states, they're pierced by dozens of arrows. And yet, they’re still fighting. Is this a nod to the all-encompassing nature of comparison? Perhaps it is, for the burr slashes through the cracks in our shields and creeps into our most vulnerable states, until we are once again forced to fight off those who attempt to challenge us. Or, seem to challenge us, that is, for comparison and intimidation are foes in common.

Also off the album is the already-released “Knee Deep,” which is doused in a fiery red sadness as BONES UK sings, “I can see what’s underneath/ I don’t want to be this deep/ Oh, I wish I was shallow.” A cue to the all-encompassing feelings of being an empath and the crippling weight of feeling everything, “Knee Deep” trudges where “Bikinis” and “Me” do not: away from the waters of self-loathing and into the uncharted territory of overbearing emotions. Other singles include “Fix,” “Won’t Settle” and the closer, “What If I Died,” which all converge onto the same path that “Me” forges: self-acceptance.

With surprises from Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins and Mike Schuman of Queens of the Stone Age, BONES UK’s SOFT is out today, alongside “Me,” the music video.