Librarians With Hickeys

Handclaps and Tambourines

Big Stir Records

LWH’s debut, Long Overdue, was a great album, but their new one may top it. Jangle pop rules, and this album is gloriously full of it.

It’s also full of great lyrics, mostly dealing with what the US has been though since 2016, by turns dark, full of turmoil, regret, and anger, but the anger keeps it from being depressing. The mood is more questioning why is the US in this situation. Some songs are about getting older, like “Stumbling Down Memory Lane,” but in the sense of looking back and finding that you’ve changed for the better.

It also has one of the finest songs of the year on it, “Ghost Singer,” a relationship song that says, “I won’t let you dump me at this concert, I’ll do the dumping instead.” It's angry jangle with great backing vocals from Christina Bulbenko and Rex Broome, and an unforgettable refrain: “Time is, time was, time will always be between us. Time is, time was, time will always be against us.”

Great singles deserve great albums to back them up, and this is absolutely that. If you love jangle pop, this will be a treat. If you love great pop, go get it, and have a blast.

Andrea Weiss