When they started out, were a cool indie band with a punky attitude and a pronounced sense of humor, as revealed on their debut album, 2013's . Then, principal songwriter (who also sings and plays guitar) started letting her funny side take the lead on side projects such as and Conversely, her work with took a cooler and more introspective turn on albums like 2017's and 2019's , as her lyrics focused more on her thoughts and fears, and the understated guitar interplay between became their musical signature. After a five-year recording layoff, brought on largely by the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down early sessions for the album, 2024's suggests their witty side is starting to make itself heard again, even as their music builds on the subtle six-string give-and-take of . There aren't any laugh-out-loud moments on , but the nature of human interaction is clearly on 's mind, and after a long stretch when the COVID-19 pandemic was making her feel isolated rather than her anxieties, there is a recurring undertow in these songs where the value of friendship and community is celebrated, even if individual relationships are still a problem. (For instance, in "Chemtrails," she sings, "We'll be good, or at least we should/What more can we really ask for?," while "I-90 Bridge" includes the lines "Tell your girlfriend she's got nothing to fear/I'm set in my head/My body's a different story.") If thematically suggests someone trying to will good things into being, musically these songs find expanding on the sounds that made their previous two albums memorable. The dynamics and textures of the guitars bring out the best in one another, and the rhythm section of (bass) and (drums) brings added texture to the bottom end and gives the performances the solid, imaginative foundation they need. Maybe aren't always laughing and loving on this album, but the music is alive and eloquent, and this is a welcome return from an interesting, consistently rewarding quartet. ~ Mark Deming