LOCAL! San Francisco's reigning jangle-pop songwriter, Glenn Donaldson, is back with a set of perfect songs that are more aggressive than those on his swoon-inducing 2022 record Summer at Land's End. This album is dedicated to "everyone who ever tried to start a band in the Bay." He describes the Bay Area rock-band lifestyle with bleak realism, from terrible jobs to nightmare apartments to Media Mail blunders. But the songs are so effortlessly beautiful and catchy that the result is somehow deeply life-affirming. RIYL: Slumberland Records in general, Sarah Records, Felt, The Fresh & Onlys, early R.E.M., Miracle Legion. Favorites: 3, 5, 10, 11 (but every song is great). FCC WARNING: 6.

1. (2:37)—Medium-fast. Bouncy but bleak. "If you're sick, well that's okay / make sure you punch the clock anyway."
2. (2:29)—Medium-fast, similar to track 1, but a little prettier and more sedate.
3. *(2:41)—Medium-fast, with a heavy beat and thick guitar distortion.
4. (4:09)—Slow, relaxed, nocturnal. Guitar-jam second half.
5. *(2:40)—Fast, energetic, beautifully fuzzy, just serrated enough to hook the heart.
6. (2:48)—FCC (f***). Fast, gentle. Simple chorus, handclaps.
7. (2:42)—Fast, cruising, a little noisy. Bendy shoegaze background textures.
8. (2:45)—Fast, fist-pumping. "I made every mistake one person could make / How could one person make so many mistakes?"
9. (2:37)—Slow, gentle. Power pop on acoustic guitar.
10. *(2:28)—Medium-fast, wistful, reminiscent of "Just Like Heaven." "It's a shame your record label failed / too many problems with Media Mail."
11. *(2:47)—Medium-fast, same key and feel as track 10 but heavier and more anthemic. Beautiful.
12. (3:05)—Slow, stark, piano-led. "I know we failed to make what you'd call a decent wage from the streaming rate."