Nothing mind-altering here, unless you disagree in which case I say enjoy the ride. There aren’t many dips but not too many rises either, just a solid entry into the post-collegiate pantheon of pop songs your boyfriend’s too distracted to care about.

Prettiest City

Lissy Trullie – She cuts quite a figure, but vocally there’s enough to make you question the gender for a syllable or four. Any song could really be lifted off this disc with a similar sonic result, the consistent pop-rock vibe it its hallmark and its curse.

Savoir Adore – When you run out things to say in a perfectly good pop song my recommendation is take a solo and return to the chorus. It worked countless times for the Raspberries. No Eric Carmen magic moments here but the dueling vocalists know when to take it up an octave.

Choo Choo La Rouge – Boston area band that specializes in no-nonsense catchy lo-fi tunes somewhere between Railroad Jerk and Bishop Allen. Recording these songs removes some of the live energy but at least provides something slake-worthy for those with a taste for the tonic.

Get Back Guinozzi – Worthy of inclusion on an early 80’s “unknown bands from Manchester” compilation even though they’re current-day and they’re not from Manchester. Still the bass guitar and reverb guitar solo with occasional synth splashes and yelping female vocals fit the template with eerie accuracy.

Headlights – Previous efforts provided commercial-worthy earworms that sadly never quite made it to ipod status though well justified their personal space requirements. This new release seems to find less in more layers as digging for nuggets costs enough calories to make you question the equation.

Two Hours Traffic – Canadian power-pop, need I say more? They don’t ache for Sloan level denim inspired rock flourish but keep it tempered and smooth like a shave with a new razor blade. If you prefer more stubble I can’t provide more direction beyond searching out songs of the producer.

The Drums – The coordinated attire and California beach setting on the cover of this EP suggest a Beach Boys fixation, but here it’s tempered by a strong helping of 80’s pop flavor. Perhaps it’s really Wham and Tommy Kirk beach flicks that really makes their spirits ache.

Why? – We’ll finish this off mix with an atypical track from a vague hip-hop artist doing the normal singing thing, though the litany of namedrops (from Jersey City to Matchbox cars to masturbating) give away the genesis of this artist’s true talents.