Quebec City band Los don’t appear to have gotten a lot of attention with the EP, double-sided single, and LP they released a decade ago. To my ears, that’s really hard to understand. Their one long-player Big Surf particularly is savagely good, bristling with a new romantic pop crispness but anchored by a whole load of killer lead guitar hooks. Just check out the excitement the opening strum gets going on “Harrison Slide” before adding in some pretty seductive harmony vocals. “Bellevue” has an acoustic guitar and layered vocals dreamy quality I associate with bands like Family of Year. Or listen closely to how “Seventeen On One” bends its minor chords in a heart rending way. But hey, the focus we’re here for is the album’s should-be hit-single IMHO: “Wonders.” As the LP’s opening cut, talk about starting out strong! Right out of the gate, the song says ‘don’t touch that dial’ with its striking lead guitar riffs and slightly melancholic guitar pop groove. As it goes on, the organ comes up in the background, buffeting and expanding the overall sound. Then in the instrumental break the lead guitar vibes a strong 1970s Wings urgency. By the song’s end the vocals overlap in a very sunny Beach Boys way.

The band appear to have changed their name more recently from Los to Lose while releasing two new singles, very much in the same dreamy atmospheric guitar pop style of their earlier work. And that’s fine by me.