A shell can shield you from a surging swell, or confine you like a prison cell. It’s all a matter of perspective, and a concept investigated by the northern New Jersey indie-folk duo Tiny Cities on “Body Cast,” the lead single to their anticipated EP 2026 Beginning of the End.

What do we choose to show to the world? Is it an accurate depiction of the swirling emotional maelstrom eroding the shoreline of the mind? Are we deserving of being loved; capable of loving ourselves; or able to love another? How can a broken soul hidden beneath a plaster mold possibly express such tenderness to another?

Accented by the restrained fret work and backing vocals of Dennis King (Sonofdov), Melissa Anthony gives shape to such an inner monologue, lamenting another missed opportunity to lay her soul bare to a special someone.

“You don’t know just what you’re getting, waiting for a happy ending. You are just a fossil pending. Stuck in place, preserved, regretting.”

Fear of falling flat; of mortification; of rejection. It gives the narrator pause until the moment’s lost, and hopes of discovering the strength to break their shell must wait another day.

“Broke my jaw. Just try and swallow, all of you. Keep checking back. To the place I’ll fall tomorrow, in my busted body cast. How I want to break.”

Below you can stream “Body Cast,” as well as the duo’s rendition of the Radiohead classic “Creep.” And be sure to catch Tiny Cities at an upcoming performance:

• Jan. 23 – The Asbury Hotel – Asbury Park, NJ, 7 p.m.
• Jan. 24 – Hidden Tracks Record – Boonton, NJ, 7 p.m.
• March 15 – Edenville General Store – Warwick, NY, 3 p.m.
• March 21 – Sacred Bean Coffee House – Flanders, NJ, 7 p.m.