The guitars whisper '1979' -- as in that wistful Smashing Pumpkins classic -- and the bassline recalls the best New Order records of the mid-'80s, so right off the bat, we're hooked. Then someone stomps on a distortion pedal, transforming the tune from shimmery pop to noisy neo-shoegaze, and all of a sudden, we're parked at the computer, reading up on these Tennessee rockers and finally learning how to spell Chattanooga.

Set at a house party, 'Lemonade' is more bitter than it is sweet. "It's all good if everybody's moving around," frontman Justin Giles sings, not sure he and his band in the right place. Everyone's "drunk and they don't like guitars," and the general listlessness of the audience taints his perception of an otherwise lovely summer night. Outside, palm trees sway, but as Giles tells us, "They won't always be around." Maybe not, but as we await the apocalypse, we'll keep rocking this song.

 

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