The Lovely Bad Things - Teenage Grown Ups (2017)

High on energy and smarter than they need to be, the Lovely Bad Things solidly deliver the goods on their sophomore album, 2017's Teenage Grown Ups. While they deal in punk rock, the LBT aren't afraid to shake up the formula (slowing things up occasionally, throwing in some swaggering hard rock moves, and indulging a clear fondness for pop hooks), and they can mix up their goofy wit with genuine human emotion when they feel the need.

Like on their first album, 2013's The Late Great Whatever, this band doesn't mind wearing their influences on their sleeves, and the fact Lauren Curtius has a certain vocal resemblance to Kim Deal only makes their debt to the Pixies all the more telling. But Camron Ward's long-standing fascination with Dinosaur Jr. can certainly be heard in the big guitar figures and enthusiastically angular soloing, and when the catchy melodies and the plus-sized guitars come together just right, these folks sound more than a bit like the late, lamented Fastbacks. The Lovely Bad Things can also write tunes just as well as they can play 'em, and their tales of twenty-somethings grappling with maturity, one woman's search for something real, the fun-sapping frustrations of dealing with the clueless, and a guy looking for his very own Thora Birch, are often funny but also resonate, playing out like stories of real people with genuine joys, sorrows, and challenges. The Lovely Bad Things aren't trying to re-invent the wheel on Teenage Grown Ups, but in a genre where it's easy to get by following a template, they have plenty of imagination and muscle, and the combination makes this an album well worth your time. ~ AllMusic Review by Mark Deming

Track List:
1. I'll Listen (2:34)
2. Teenage Grown Ups (3:19)
3. Cartoon Food (4:28)
4. I Just Want You to Go Away (2:49)
5. Julian's House (3:09)
6. You Don't Hang Around (4:34)
7. Airhead Trash (2:55)
8. Slug Boy (2:26)
9. Noon Babies (3:08)
10. Thora Birch (3:00)
11. Glow Buddy (4:15)

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