The follow-up to their 2017 debut album,
Young Enough
leaves behind some of the grungier corners of
Guppy
while doubling down on caffeinated alt-rock anthems. That's to say they don't abandon distortion and animated rock drums, but prominent synths and a more extroverted and aerodynamic front land a little closer to
No Doubt
than
the Breeders
while remaining on that continuum. Following albums with acts including
Morrissey
and
the Front Bottoms
,
Joe Chiccarelli
produced the record. "Blown to Bits" kicks things off with a needling synth tone before the rest of the band and, eventually, overdriven guitar and crashing cymbals join in. On that song, lead singer
Eva Hendricks
' distinctively bright, almost helium-like vocals are mixed high above the clatter, much like they are on songs like the punk-poppy, noodling "Under You" and "Bleach." At least as often, though,
Hendricks
' hooky melodies are given space in sleeker arrangements such as on the borderline dance-pop of "Chat Room" and the mid-tempo "Capacity," with its combination of rumbly and bloopy textures providing supportive surfaces more than competition. Even the more reflective "Young Enough" has atmospheric synths and echoing guitars that approximate a ground-level fog that never reaches
' height. Meanwhile, lyrics including "I used to think that I should be good at everything/Now I know I was wrong/I used to think that I should do right by everyone/Now I know I was wrong" navigate the hard lessons and unknowns of young adulthood. Ultimately,
outshines a promising debut, delivering a steady mix of summery earworms and angst. ~ Marcy Donelson