The Lemon Twigs: Songs For The General Public (2020)

A pair of brothers from Queens, the Lemon Twigs are sort of a mash-up of campy '70s pop-rock and the twee retro-pop of Elephant 6 acts like early Of Montreal. Their 2016 debut was kinda fun, if undercooked, and 2018's Go To School was a sprawling concept album that was a bit over the top. They got the balance just right on their third try, a delightfully catchy collection of songs that's still pretty oddball. It's a blend of 70s soft-pop (kinda in line with, say, Foxygen and Ariel Pink), Mott The Hoople, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Campy and schlocky but also tethered to hummable tunes.

There's plenty of straight pop, like "The One," which would fit on on a lot of Elephant 6 albums, while opener "Hell On Wheels" is like a great lost Meatloaf track, silly overblown 70s kitsch and delightfully endearing. There's camp drama all over the place--"Somebody Loving You" is a strange showtune that glides from twee falsettos into a gloriously big, glammy chorus--but you've also got the jangly, almost earnest AM radio pop of "Live In Favor Of Tomorrow" to bring these (sort of) back down to earth.

Let down your guard and it's a fun ride. Buy it on Bandcamp.

Here's the video for "The One":

...and an audio rip of "Hell On Wheels":

...and "Somebody Loving You":