Maybe Not Tonight

Sophomore album from an all-female, alt rock quartet from Brighton, England. Reportedly inspired by the band members all going through breakups at roughly the same time, the album loosely conjures up what a night on the town might then be like. The band refers to their sound as wonk pop, combining alt rock with electropop and even disco. Lime Garden captures the vibe of early-twenty-somethings trying to make their way in the world — dealing with self-discovery as well as self-deprecation. The lyrics have an edge throughout — a balance between playful and put out — with irreverent, ‘slacker’ vocals. Lots of fun! RIYL: Wet Leg, Wolf Alice, Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes.
— Francis

Recommended: 4, 1, 9, 2, 5, 10. FCCs on unedited Tracks 11 and 12.

1. (2:49) 23 (Radio Edit) — Swaggering strut. Garage rock with a techno growl. Shouted vocals. ****
2. (2:41) Cross My Heart — Energetic, disco-funk with a liquid bassline. Glitchy percussion and electronic effects. Doubled vocals. ***
3. (2:37) Downtown Lover — Strident, guitar-driven garage rock with a solid backbeat. Title repeated frequently in the vocals.
4. (2:59) All Bad Parts — A fabulous danceable electropop single in the style of bands such as Wet Leg. Cool, mischievous vocals about ending up stuck with a partner who may not be their favorite option. Catchy! ****
5. (2:45) Maybe Not Tonight — Propulsive, off-kilter, punky garage rock reminiscent of the 00s sound. Distorted vocals. Softer lead break. ***
6. (3:13) Body — Another rocker with vocals that vary from edgy to sweet. Distorted guitars and shimmering synths. Lyrics about body-image and self-worth, driven by seeing another woman on the dance floor.
7. (2:22) Lifestyle — Roaring guitars, overmodulated vocals and feedback.
8. (3:20) Undressed — Electropop with a pulsing bassline, playful keys and Strokes-like guitars. Chime-y keys and lengthy guitar solo in the lead break.
9. (3:32) Always Talking About You (Clean Edit) — Flowing, softer alt rock where Chloe Howard admits to the band’s secret dream. “I wanna be famous/I wanna be rich.” Mesmerizing bass line and gruff vocals. ****
10. (2:42) Do You Know What I’m Thinking — Anthemic closer. Starts like a ballad with sweeter vocals from Howard, but spotlights Leila Deeley’s exceptional work on lead guitar and Annabel Whittle’s drumming. ***
11. (2:49) 23 (Explicit) — FCC: Fuckin’ — Unedited version of Track 1.
12. (3:33) Always Talking About You (Explicit) — FCC: fuck (twice), asshole — Unedited version of Track 9.