Good Kid - Can We Hang Out Sometime?

Opener ‘Rift’ bursts into life with the kind of youthful charge that once sent bands such as Mumm-Ra, Good Books and Mystery Jets bounding through the mid-2000s indie boom, guitars bouncing with gleeful urgency.

That buoyant energy rarely lets up. Hooks snap into place while the guitars keep nudging the jangle upward, choruses arriving with a grin. Nothing here aims for aloof coolness; Good Kid chase pure melodic joy with reckless enthusiasm. Second track ‘Eastside’ provides a welcome scuff of distortion, barging in with scrappier riffs before darting away again.

Across the record, the band lean hard into the thrill of hanging out and shouting along while the guitars shoulder the emotional workload. ‘Coffee’ zooms in on everyday life, finding charm in domestic routines and small conversations. It all lands with cheerful, slightly scruffy charm and melodies that refuse to behave themselves.

Grand reinvention never enters the room. Instead, ‘Can We Hang Out Sometime?’ chases the pure pleasure of great guitar pop, hooks flying past while choruses practically high-five you on the way through. Play it on a sunny afternoon, and suddenly everything feels about 65% more fun. Completely scientific.