Guppy

Guppy is a record that doesn't so much seek to reinvent the pop wheel so much as refine it. If it's true that listening to just the right record at just the right moment can psychically transport you to some other time and place, then Charly Bliss can pretty much turn any space into a classic teenage bedroom, a candy-scented safe space for extreme fits of happiness and angsty teen-level explosions of romantic ennui. The ten tracks show the band embracing all of their strengths — a combination of ripping guitars and irrepressible pop hooks, all delivered with the hyper-enthusiasm of a middle school cafeteria food fight. That every track is loaded front-to-back with sing/shout-worthy lyrics and earworm melodies is a testament to the band’s commitment to the art form of pop songwriting.