Time won’t let me: Sergio Ceccanti, Mod Lang, and Joyce Manor

17 Tuesday Mar 2026

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The Outsiders knew a thing or two about time. Despite some cool organ and a great horn section, time turned out to be a jealous mistress for them. The albums covered in today’s post return to this theme of time, whether borrowed, remembered, or left behind.

In our last review of Sergio Ceccanti we applauded his 1960s genre-fluidity and deft use of multiple guitar tones. But with his new LP Leave the Past, Don’t Look Behind he’s achieved a degree of sonic consistency that really makes the album stand out. The basic formula is evident on opening cut “When You’re Away” where a candy-coated vocal melody is punctuated with distinctive keyboard shots and a decidedly retro lead guitar break. Then as follow-up track “Waiting for You (in a Lonely Town)” gets going it hits you, the musical landscape here is very Jeff Lynne/ELO. What a (pleasant) surprise. Another departure here is the number of low-key mid-tempo numbers like “Grey Cloudy Sky,” “Burning Sun,” “Will You Miss Me,” and “Secret Garden.” They’re all dreamy pop but with a bit more heft than one might expect. And if the guitar was the star on the previous outing, the organ is working hard for MVP this time around, particularly on “You Don’t Really Care” and “The Dead Leaves of my Soul.” Should-be hit singles on this release for me would include title-track “Leave the Past, Don’t Look Behind” but especially the swinging “I’ll Run Through The Rain.” Of course, if you’re not ready to leave the past, you could look back with the closing track “The Words We Used to Say” which harkens back to Ceccanti’s previous album’s sound.

The debut LP Borrowed Time from Detroit’s Mod Lang is nothing less than sizzling. Taking their name from a Big Star tune, the band effortlessly stretch across the Beatles timeline into1970s power pop all over this record. Opening cut “What I Can’t Have” weaves a very subtle Beatlesque thread throughout the tune. It’s there in the economical lead guitar work and the curt vocal turns and harmonies. “In Advance” starts us moving between Beatles influences and a more obviously Big Star set of 1970s motifs. “Cocomode” even manages to combine a seventies boogie rock feel with an Everlys vocal sensibility. Then it’s back to the Fabs circa 1964-65 on “Those Words.” The band’s facility with the various Beatles eras is impressive. “Fool In Love” offers up amazing vocal harmonies and an acoustic guitar feel in a very Rubber Soul vein while “Borrowed Time” shifts to a late Beatles sound, particularly the amped up lead guitar in the last half of song. By contrast, “TV Star” and “In the Morning” showcase Big Star-isms from both their rock and folk tendencies. Should-be hit singles here would include the dynamite opening cut and the exquisitely vocalized “Try Your Love.” Borrowed Time is a must buy, a stunning piece of work.

Joyce Manor are a real enigma. One moment they’re pop punking their brains out, the next they’re swapping in folk-pop and power pop work-outs on their latest long-player I Used To Go To This Bar. The all-too-brief, not-even-2 minutes-long kick-off tune “I Know Where Mark Chen Lives” falls somewhere between pop punk and The Killers. But that chorus is an all-out melody attack. “Falling Into It” shifts into a new sonic skin with a softer vocal attack and some nice synth touches before unleashing some tougher lead guitar work and vocals two-thirds in. But then there’s another surprise as “All My Friends Are So Depressed” dials up a sprightly folk pop feel. Love the rumbly lead guitar break contrasting some Smiths-like rhythm guitar chord changes. “After All You Put Me Through” is similarly poppy with a low-key vocal. From there the album leans mostly toward pop punk on tracks like “Well, Whatever It Was,” “The Opossum,” “Well, Doesn’t It Seem Like You’ve Been Here Before,” and “Grey Guitar.” A stand out exception to the pattern here is the more power pop title-track “I Used To Go To This Bar.”

Looks like time’s up for this packet-of-three post but you can continue counting the clock down with each of them at their web locales.

Photo courtesy Carbon Arc Flikr collection.

Spotlight single: The Rockyts “Wonder”

13 Friday Mar 2026

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Canadian wunderkind Jeremy Abboud returns in his Rockyts band guise on a campaign to bring ‘color and imagination’ back to popular music. His first installment is the new single “Wonder” and it’s pretty, well, wonderful. The song opens with a Nicky Hopkins “She’s a Rainbow” piano flourish before settling into a cocoon of light orchestral pop motifs, punctuated by striking, break-out instrumental asides and a very Brian Wilson bridge. This is a promising hint of what is surely soon to come from The Rockyts’ (as yet unannounced) third LP. What it signals is another impressive stylistic leap from Abboud whose first album Come On and Dance was so beat group circa 1965 while his second Parkwood Manor shifted to a more 1980s new wave sound. While we don’t know exactly what might be in store for us on album #3 we do have the band’s one-off single from 2024 as a tip off, the very garage-rock “A Girl Like You.” Or maybe not. My gut tells me Abboud’s current theme is more sunshine pop than sweaty rock. He’s (pleasantly) surprised us before so all bets are off until the record actually hits the shops.

Check out everything Rockyts and Abboud at his online real estate here where you can also sign up for early distance warning about any future releases.

This charming band: Lavventura

06 Friday Mar 2026

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Everything about Toronto duo Lavventura’s debut LP is charming. From the wide range of styles to the idiosyncratic choice of instruments to the album’s curio sonic texture, That Particular Charm definitely delights. The band’s penchant for the eccentric and unusual is evident right away on opening track “Neato Favorito” with its Penguin Café Orchestra launch and lilting singsong rhythm. “Waiting for Your Sweet Love” has a Donald Fagen jazzy undercurrent married to a low key soul thrust. Then “Ladybug” turns up the guitars with a tune that is equal parts Andy Partridge and Yellow Submarine-era Beatles. Listening through this album it’s clear these guys really know their melodic rock canon, dropping easter eggs all over the LP. “Trauma” reincarnates the spirit of the Beach Boys. “Fallen Leaves” is like a collaboration between the Everly Brothers and Sergio Leone. “House in the City/Camp Ptarmigan” puts a George Harrison lead guitar bit into an early 1970s country rock tune. “Must Be the Devil” also travels that country rock road with a dash of vaudeville and rock lead guitar. “Slippery Raincoats” and “Requiem for a Starman” are like two sides of 1970s, the former giving off a Big Star vibe, the latter exuding a rock opera grandeur. Closing out the record are two fine rock and roll songs. “Love You Like Guitars” is just stripped-back guitar goodness, full stop. However, the undeniable should-be hit-single in this package is “Flatline Dialtone.” This one has me hanging on the telephone for sure.

Get your copy of Lavventura’s That Particular Charm at their bandcamp page. That’s where I got mine!

Philly pit stop

01 Sunday Mar 2026

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During a recent-ish interview with Remember the Lightning members of Log Flume started name-dropping bands from their local Philadelphia music scene. Given how much I love their stuff it was a no-brainer I’d scoop up their suggestions for a special Philly pit stop. I mean, other than Hall and Oates I really have no sense of what has gone down music-wise in the brotherly love city. But that is about to change.

Fair Game’s 2025 EP Pony Boy is a rush of ringing guitars and slightly snarly pop attitude. Always with an uncurrent of electric melody. Opening cut “I’ve Been Alone This Weekend” captures all the excitement, with relentless rhythm guitar strumming and subtle hooks. “New Jersey” is pretty special too with its fuzzy guitar tones and pop punkish vocal veneer. I’ve written about Canadian Invasion before it became Presidential policy and there is an amazing back catalogue of material that will take you through their DIY beginnings right up to their more current polished pop. “Catch a Falling Knife” from 2023’s Your Favorite Lies EP is a master class of curio pop songwriting. Recent singles “Picture Frames” and “Joey” are also strong. But here I want to draw attention to the band’s brilliant deconstruction of Michael Penn’s “No Myth” from 2023’s Out of Body Experiences: Covers 2003-2023. Positively pedal steel-approved country. Listening to Mopar Stars’ 2024 EP Burning Question all the sonic elements seem to meld together. It sounds like it’s been run through a filter to give everything a great buzzy pop sheen. Title track “Burning Question” bristles with kinetic energy and an eminently hummable tune. Dipping into Pontiac Flare’s 2024 LP The Blueprint you’d be forgiven for finding 10 different albums going on. For instance, “Couldn’t Be Falling Faster” is pure adrenaline-fueled power pop, a sweet blast of great hooks. But elsewhere the album runs the gamut of sophisticated pop and rock styles. Rounding out our Philly tour Benny P offers a full collection of guitar pop stunners on his 2024 LP No Place. So hard to choose just one song to feature so I’ll settle for two, “Some Days” and “Aching Hearts.” These tracks combine a driving acoustic guitar rhythm section with harmony vocals and surprising melodic turns.

Surely we have stop by our Philadelphia power pop influencer just to remind us who we’re hanging with? Log Flume have always had unerring melodic chops, as is apparent from their early single “DB Cooper.” The vocals and guitar are so perfectly calibrated here, slightly edgy but solidly pop too.

Man Philly seems to have quite the melody-rich music scene. Quality power pop definitely lives there and you don’t even have to leave your town to enjoy it.

Photo ‘Sun sets on Philadelphia’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Curses! It’s Pony and Triples

23 Monday Feb 2026

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I can hear this stock villain refrain when confronted with our double-whammy of Toronto power pop goodness. I mean, there is something rather Dudley Do-Right about Canada’s largest metropolis. The place tends to register a ‘meh’ on the list of world class cities. Recently though the local music scene been blowing up the world stage, gaining international attention for its eminently discoverable talent. These two acts are ready for their close-up.

I’ve been waiting for Pony’s new album to drop for some time. Clearly Cursed really delivers on the promise of its early release singles and even adds more stylistic diversity over its ten tracks. “Superglue” and “Freezer” came out last year, brimming with should-be hit-single hooks. My immediate go-to comparisons were The Primitives for the former and Juliana Hatfield on the latter. These were headphones-on, soundtracking-your-life, spirit-lifting stuff. The band presser made mention of inspiration from The Cure and Jesus and May Chain but I think “Middle of the Summer” opens more like a 1983 synth-rock entry, aided by some cool guitar riffs and a Tristen-worthy vocal. Then there’s the striking vocal turns-of-phrase on “Blame Me” and “Sunny Something” that are just so Juliana Hatfield. Things do get a bit more rocking on “Hot and Mean” and “Every Little Crumb” where the band crank the amps and add some crunch to the guitars. But the pop instincts on this record is where the real magic happens. I hear it on “Clearly Cursed” with its swinging Go Go’s vibe and “Swallowing Stars” where we head back to a shoegazey Tracy Tracy territory. If Clearly Cursed is an affliction let’s hope there’s no cure.

Triples was originally a duo of sisters, Eva and Madeline Link. Then Madeline left to focus on another musical project, leaving sister Eva to either go solo or re-invent what Triples was about. She opted for the latter, filling out the band’s early indie DIY sound with a more expansive full band feel. Every Good Story is the EP evidence of this transformation. It’s just four songs but the selections give us a good snapshot of what is going on here. Opening cut “Old Routine” pushes some dissonant guitar work to the forefront but the vocals are pure power pop in a Liz Phair kinda way. “Gonna Be Good” gives us some crashing rhythm work that slides a hummable vocal melody overtop. “Happy” too opens with some big guitar noise only to resolve into a skipping along, singalong vocal. “Be Around” builds its sonic cocoon around some neat lead guitar licks. The only misstep here is that the whole EP adds up to a miserly 12 minutes of recorded music. Cruelty. That’s what I call it. Only a full LP will soothe my savaged breast.

Villains always react poorly when obviously good things arrive on the scene. Pony and Triples bring a little Canadian light to our increasingly dark world. Soak it up via the hyperlinks above.

Photo ‘There Was Someone That I Knew Before’ courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Singles for a weary world

16 Monday Feb 2026

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Sometimes I imagine a large radio tower blasting our choice singles around the planet. It’s definitely what the world needs now. A little bit of the carefree, some heart-fluttering excitement, perhaps even a hint of inspiration. Take some time out from world affairs and your personal troubles to check out this suite of specially curated should-be hits. You’ll be glad you did.

Let’s launch with something that conjures a bit of early Go Go’s but with a breathy male vocal. The Sylvia Platters give us this and more with “Tactical Lunchbox.” There’s even a B52s organ break. Jangle deficiency is a serious ailment, particularly in these dour winter months. Motorists have just the remedy with “Frogman.” Those luscious guitar tones are gonna make anybody feel better. The same critics who can’t say enough good things about bands like The Lemon Twigs pause when a new Uni Boys single comes on. As they should. These renaissance new wave popsters have done it again with “I Don’t Want to Dream Anymore.” Somebody pinch me, it must be 1979 again. Jeff Shelton’s Deadlights take us back to the 1980s with a faithful cover of House of Love on “Destroy the Heart.” Dig the drone. You can practically smell the smoke machine. Brisbane Australia’s Gift Horse get the jump on dad day with “Fathers.” The song has a muscular folk rock sensibility, like the Byrds with a Marshall stack.

Dallas, Texas combo The Pozers step on the 10ccc pedal for their contribution to the International Pop Overthrow compilation album #26. The vocal swoops compete with a relentless poppy keyboard driving things to a cheery place. Langhorne Slim has been hanging around the roots scene for years but his new album The Dreamin’ Kind is something else. I mean, it is rootsy but it is so much more too. Listen to the tight pop articulation of the should-be single “On Fire.” It has the soulful poppy chops of an Aaron Lee Tasjan. It’s dancey, it’s heartfelt, its AM radio playable. Kurt Baker has been offering up Elvis Costello-ish pop-slathered rock for a while.  “Undertow Afterglow” amps that influence even further than usual. The B-side cover of the McCartney/Costello composition “My Brave Face” is pretty special too. Detroit’s Mod Lang are building quite the buzz about the near imminent release of their debut long-player Borrowed Time. Early release single “TV Star” blasted some good time 1970s power pop vibes for sure but I’m digging the more Beatlesque “What I Can’t Have.” This is gonna be one hot album drop. silk daisys get the dream pop label but I’m hearing Darling Buds and Primitives. Sure, there’s shimmer all over their recordings but an essential guitar pop goodness emerges with clarity on “It’s a Laugh.”

Things rarely go sideways with Dazy for me. There’s something playful and seriously inventive about how their songs get put together. “Delusions of …” has a Sugar Ray vocal, some La’s guitars, and Beck production sensibility. Dutch outfit The Maureens revive a 1960s group vocals sound with folk and pop inflections and it’s all there again on their new single “Doing Fine.” And that means an album can’t be far behind. The organ opening Marc Valentine’s new single “NY UAP” is just so 1966 it hurts. In a good way. This is retro rock and roll that still sounds fresh today. Punk veterans Together Pangea are still turning it out. “Shattered” offers you grinding guitars and a shuffle beat that dance floors were made for. At first listen you might think Tom Emlyn’s “Starsick” has seen some poet press-ganged onto stage in front of a band playing a bit too fast. But as the song develops the words and music meld together in a frenetic kind of energy that is way cool.

I don’t really know where Växjö is. Somewhere in Sweden I take it. But given the latest single from that country’s School Book Depository I imagine there’s someone belting out their favourite song there. This band ace atmospheric pop singles and the current “Karaoke” is no exception. I love the lead guitar roll-out that launches Tad Overbaugh’s “Rearview.” It’s what pushes this ‘new country’ entry into something broader genre-wise. And that great guitar work continues throughout. Capitol city’s Vegas With Randolph get right back on the new album prep train floating an early effort with “Let’s Fool Around.” It’s a smooth pop rocking number in a manner similar to indie acts like Vanilla and the Zombies of the Stratosphere. And that’s good enough for me. Another Sloan album, another spate of rave reviews. That’s what the release of last year’s Based on a Best Seller produced. I loved it, not that band needed accolades from the likes of me. So I’ll just throw some light on the fab deep cut “Here We Go Again.” Nobody quite knocks it out of the park as reliably as these guys. Chicago’s The Rubs throw up something a bit different with their new song. “Starting All Over” sounds likes it has dropped right out of the 1970s pub rock scene. Only the wobbly guitar sound gives it a modern sheen.

It’s a wrap this time around with “Came Back Kicking” from The Pretty Flowers. This one has the oomph of something big. Like stadium singalong big. It’s the pre-release single from the band’s upcoming album Never Felt Bitter. Can’t wait to hear more.

Does the air seem lighter? I can’t tell I’m so riffed up on these radio-ready singles. And you don’t have to stop now. Click the links to keep the world away for just a little bit longer.

Photo “Union Station” courtesy Thomas Hawk Flikr collection.

Spotlight single: Banda AL9 “She Can Do It All”

11 Wednesday Feb 2026

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Brazilian Beatlesque sensation Banda AL9 are staging an American invasion, releasing their first ever official single in the United States with “She Can Do It All.” Anyone familiar with their fabulous first two albums, Amore E A Lei (Love Is the Law) and On Nono Rei (The Ninth King), know the drill. The song is brimming with all the chiming guitar and John, Paul and George-approved harmony vocals the duo have become known for. Written by indie power pop darlings Kurt Baker and Wyatt Funderburk, it’s a track completely in tune with this band’s musical sensibilities. The hooks are breezy and will have you double hand-clapping along. Both the song and the video are also dripping with easter eggy Beatle-isms for the serious Beatlemaniacs in the audience. What is really exciting is that the track is just the first single from a brand new album Hey! Hey! We’re Banda AL9, due out from Wicked Cool Records July 17. Hopefully they’ll drip release a few more preview songs to really ramp up our expectations.

Banda AL9 are all over the interweb but you can start with their record company and Facebook pages.

I think I hear a single

06 Friday Feb 2026

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Whenever my power pop tank is running low I head on over to Don Valentine’s I Don’t Hear a Single blog for a reliable re-up. I can’t be going there too often or I’ll just want to cover everything Don’s got up, though our tastes do diverge sometimes on the genres adjacent to melodic rock and roll. Even when we cover the same artist we often differ on the tracks to highlight. Don is also a music reviewing machine. I can’t believe the number of new releases he gets up on his site. He’s just finished his annual ‘best of the year’ countdown and in the spirit of blog cross-pollination I’ve needle-dropped all 100 entries and pulled out just 10 that caught my ear. Let’s see if we can hear a single from amongst these I Don’t Hear A Single approved releases.

The first song to jump out a me was the mid-summer release from Keys entitled “My Temporary Game.” It’s got a McCartney undercurrent and a very strong resemblance to the Pugwash sonic imprint. Then I caught an earful of Winterpills “Lean Into the Wind” with its wonderful dreamy lustre. Almost folk pop but the electric guitars stretch such genre labels. Florida’s Evening Standards oscillate between punkish abandon and folky sweetness on different tracks. “Wild Seahorses” falls somewhere in-between, more melodic rock and roll. Clock Radio have got a crashing, swinging style all over “Blood on Chrome” where the chorus really delivers. I didn’t even know Orange, Massachusetts was a place but apparently Creative Writing hail from there. Their sound is like they absconded with a bit Athens, Georgia and moved it to New York City. “Baby Did This” has got jangly guitars and spooky vocals with just a touch of Americana. Chicago’s Half Scratches is something else again. How many people sing about getting gout again? Not many. This band slips such references into “Houses” and it doesn’t take away from the tune’s over-weaning sense of fun. Future Clouds and Radar load up a big guitar sound on “Chicken Out,” one you can dial up and float away on. Slow Buildings work up a more spare atmosphere on “Cruel Girls Are Wrong” with a kind of Rank and File singalong feel and sharp lead guitar work. I love the intimate, spooky aura established by British Birds on “Silence Daedalus.” There’s something carnivalesque about the whole proceedings. And then it’s on to a big finish with the dramatic energy oozing from Them Elephants on “Right Way.” This one’s got a buzz so strong you can feel it vibrating. Definitely solid rock.

You won’t go wrong hanging with Don over at I Don’t Hear a Single, as his “100 Best Albums Of The Year 2025: The Cut Out And Keep Guide” makes infinitely clear. This post just amounts to a Poprock Record distilled highlight reel.

Photo courtesy Alex Eylar Flikr collection.

Should be a hit single: Log Flume “Necessary Evil”

01 Sunday Feb 2026

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If loving this is wrong I don’t wanna feel right. Barely four months out from their stellar 2025 LP release Splash Hit, Philadelphia’s Log Flume float their brand new single “Necessary Evil” and it is wickedly good. I’m dubbing the sound here ‘smash jangle’ given its dynamic pairing of punk adjacent vocals with sparkling guitar work. There’s a dissonant musical backdrop to these proceedings, almost shoegazey at times. But then the crystal clean jangle comes ringing through the sonic mist here and there with utter clarity. The vocals are delivered with a sing-along punch that should have fists waving in sweaty, packed venues everywhere. The song’s stripped down denouement is both a striking finish and glimpse into how great an acoustic version could be. This one should be busting charts from Adelaide to Manchester to Brooklyn and then some. Now I would be remiss to not mention another post Splash Hit release, the very janglicious “Get the Picture.” This one is right out of 1960s power pop central casting. A little less dissonant than their usual fare, more pure grin-inducing poppy goodness. A fitting b-side to our should-be hit single main feature.

Can an album be far behind songs this good? I sincerely hope an LP of similar singles is presently in the making. Check out everything Log Flume at their Bandcamp site.

Breaking news: Birthday Squirrel, Bruce Moody, Modern Shag, and The Radio Field

28 Wednesday Jan 2026

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Our top stories are breaking big with brand new talent, a peppy return from a comeback kid, a seventies style revival, and some solid, dependable jangle. Headlines don’t tell the whole tale so dig in to the detailed coverage below.

Toronto’s Mike Frolick is the brains behind the Birthday Squirrel operation. His new debut LP Higher, Warmer has a rustic charm, flashing indie folk, Americana, and Tom Petty vibes. Opening cut “Did Ya Ever” conjures a dark folkie groove that soldiers along, interspersing striking though subdued instrumental ornamentation here and there. Definitely a mood setter.  “Marc Maron” tips things into a more Hayden-esque direction. Then “Low Life” has touches of Tom Petty in his more acoustic guitar settings. The songs on the album tend to move in one of two directions, a consistent groove lightened by unexpected sonic adornments or something that builds as it goes along. “Better Than I Was” and “2 Chords” are solid examples of the former while “Parts Boutique” and “Home About” showcase the latter. As a listening experience this is an album you can really live with, picking up hints of other artists upon repeated listens. A bit of Joe Pernice on “Holding You,” a Jayhawks feel to “Operation Hazy Jane,” or more Tom Petty with “Cowboys on the Weekend.” Standout track here for me is undoubtedly “Methylene Blues.” The opening banjo catches my ear and I love the light dusting of keyboards lingering in the background before the song dives into the grungy chorus. Very Eels-like. “Belts” wraps things up with something different again, especially the distinctive keyboard flourishes. Higher, Warmer is surely this season’s hot thing.

In 2020 Bruce Moody was the middle-aged comeback kid, peddling a fabulous collection of his unreleased 1980s era recordings as Forever Fresh! Then in 2024 he pulled a few more lost treasures out of the vault, giving them a modern makeover for PopCycle. Now on the aptly-named Keep Showing Up! he proves his creative spark is definately alive in the present. The vibe here is still very much in that power pop sweet spot circa 1978-82 though, given how our times have broken down all genre walls, the songs could be from anytime in the new millennium. Dropping the needle anywhere on the album the sound could be Dwight Tilley or The Outfield or Mark Oliver Everett’s ‘E’ project. “Mary Goes ‘Round” opens the record with a splash of keyboard but then it’s new wave rhythm guitar all the way. “She’ll Never Know” is very 1979 Knack or Cars. Then “Break My Silence” ventures out into a broader 1980s feel. As the record plays it’s clear the songwriting throughout the album is consistently strong. Moody’s tunes often sound deceptively simple but routinely feature a knock-out killer chorus. As you can hear on “Local Hero,” “Love Is,” and “Cruise Control.”  Stylistically, there are departures too, like the psych Beatles-tinged “Natassja” that includes a bagpipe solo and the enigmatic “Ghosts!” with its distinctive opening and uneasy pop tension. Or check out the inventive build on “Waiting for You.” This one has a Buggles or a-ha sonic appeal to it. Run, don’t walk, to your power pop retailer for this LP!

Chicago’s Modern Shag sound anything but modern or shaggy. They are smooth sixties-sounding jangle purveyors, with hints of psychedelia and California sunshine pop vocals. Their self-titled EP opens with “Dream of Your Life Right Now,” an easy-going, laid-back introduction to this band’s oeuvre. “Feel Luv” sounds more Beatlesque in a 1967 groovy mode. Sometimes I feel this EP wavers between the Bryds and Buffalo Springfield, occasionally slipping into Crosby, Still, and Nash territory. “You can hear it on You Gotta Go” where insistent vocals are matched by in-your-face jangle guitar. By contrast, “I Think I Get It Now” could be seen as a newer example of the genre, e.g. The Jayhawks. Then you have “Backpage,” a track that launches with alluring guitar work before grabbing you with the vocal melodies. And then it’s over all too soon, just shy of 15 minutes.

Two years after they wowed us with their debut LP Don’t and Do’s The Radio Field return with Air and Sunlight and it’s a jangle stunner, stretching the genre in new directions. Things open with the familiar sounding “It’s Alright.” This is the stop for Dropkick and Teenage Fanclub fans. “Ride With Me” is parked in this same wheelhouse. But hear the difference on tracks like “Apogee” and “Same” where the jangle ambience is darker, more remote. This is an album that is regularly shifting gears. There’s the swinging positivity of “Sellout” and bustling drumming pushing “Hey You” along. “What It Takes” fattens the jangle sounds while “Sun Dial” does the opposite, giving space to jangle guitars to really ring out. This oscillation of moods and tempos makes the album feel like a journey, one you don’t want to end.

In a world of bad news, our stories are always a hooky pick-me-up. Dig deep into their background by clicking the links above.

Photo courtesy Alex Eylar Flikr collection.