Upbeat indie pop with an early 2000s sound, with some surprises along the way. David Kilgour of New Zealand, former frontman of indie group The Clean, has come out with an album that is at once laid-back and playful, mature yet carefree. Catchy throughout and gets better with more listens, though some songs still blend together too easily.

Favorites: 5, 8, 9. No FCCs noted though “hell” is prominent on track 4.

1. (4:12) Sleepy, psychedelic fade-in. Slow to mid-tempo. Titled “Like Rain,” but “Like a Light Drizzle” would fit even better. Picture the opening credits of a charmingly dysfunctional family film (looking at you Little Miss Sunshine).
2. (3:35) Opens with a bright electric riff. Melodic, simple but uplifting. Pleasant grungy noise scattered throughout.
3. (3:02) Slowed down, mostly instrumental, rolling toms and piano. Theremin-like psychedelic sounds and whispered vocals come in around :50. As if Yo La Tengo and Wilco had a pretty chill baby.
4. (3:21) Mid-tempo, country-inspired. More spring cheer in the strumming. Exploratory in both sound and theme: “Christopher Columbus knew/yeah, he knew/what the hell you’re gonna do?.... Everybody needs a rest.” Note for the repeated usage of the word “hell.”
5. *(2:32) A meandering, more mysterious guitar piece and lower, darker vocals to accompany the change in mood. There’s a background “twang” that grabs you and keeps going. Very Yo La Tengo again, hints of Interpol?; my favorite track.
6. (3:18) Return to Cheery Mountain, for the most part. Echoes hypnotize until power chords cut through the haze. Elements of Supergrass or Oasis.
7. (4:45) “Wrestling with the same old highway.” Similar feeling to #4. Sonically, highs and lows and highs again. Mid-tempo.
8. *(3:10) A refreshing break. Unadorned keys that sound optimistic on their own but lead to the stark, suddenly clear, lonely vocals. “I don’t wanna live alone/it takes too long.”
9. *(4:34) Gradual, plucking build up to a lush full-band mid-tempo track. Around 2:30 becomes louder and more urgent, with scratchier guitars and angrier drums until it comes to a close.
10. (2:50) Resonates well with track 1. Upbeat, short and sweet, despite bitter lyrics about the failures of communication. Jangly guitars driving to an end.