I’ll say it up front: this album is fun. Leaving Richmond’s The Bird and The Submarine is poppy, upbeat, unabashedly bright and shiny, and just plain fun to listen to. Yes, this disc sits at the furthest edge of the big field of what Hypnagogue Reviews normally covers–it’s like a pop-punk band peeked over the fence and said, “Hey, we got rid of our lyrics…can we come over?” Everything else is post-rock intact and it’s nice to have them here. Jordan Pier and Adam Sanborne form the duo and crank out seven feel good cuts that are ready for primetime (their work has appeared on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim). “New Machinery” comes across like Ennio Morricone Goes Surfing, twangy cowboy guitars catching a West Coast groove. “I’ll Find Meaning, Just Not Today” is my favorite track here, a big dose of pure indie joy, a shot of musical adrenalin. (And it’s..here it comes again…FUN.) I love the slammed-out chords at the bridge. This is like riding with the top down all summer. “The Aftermath Never Adds Up” opens with a folksy acoustic feel, ramps up with gritty, sliding chords to something bordering on anthemic, drops back out–then comes back at it again even stronger. The seven songs here breeze by in less than half an hour. It’s an appetizer at best, but it’s frigging tasty as hell and it should leave you wanting more. It’s got the familiarity of modern rock, the infectious energy of good pop, and all the hooks it needs to reel you in. Keep an ear open for Leaving Richmond.

Available from the Leaving Richmond Tumblr site.