Strumbellas - Rattlesnake (Teal Vinyl)

An uplifting album with songs that focus more on optimism. Musically, it has a bounce, with sing-along choruses and jangly, sunny guitars, yet the lyrics include discussions of sleeping all day because dreams are better, and an odd track about begging a partner to return.

Making happy music about miserable things is a trick the Strumbellas do well: they can sing beautifully, and they have a tight connection as a band. A song like "Did I Die," on 2013's We Still Move On Dance Floors, about death and madness, sounds like a Sunday revival, decorative but pretty. This time around, the juxtaposition of lyric and form are a bit played out.

Limited edition TEAL vinyl pressed by eOne Entertainment.