Back in 2021, I described The Feeders’ debut as “like Superchunk channeling Teenage Fanclub, or Superchunk playing good Weezer songs.” For Dark Days, I’d happily throw The Thermals and The Muffs into the mix as well. That still doesn’t tell the whole story of The Feeders, though. Featuring Chicago scene veterans Sam Vicari, Alex Rackow, and John Perrin (NRBQ), this is a band that knows exactly how to write an irresistible guitar pop song.

This is the good kind of alt-pop. It leans indie punk, it leans modern power pop, and every now and then there’s even a hint of doo-wop, not unlike the way Masked Intruder sneaks those melodies into their songs. It’s catchy, punchy, fuzzy, and refreshingly free of unnecessary frills.

The title Dark Days suggests conflict, and many of the lyrics wrestle with it, but sonically this record is all sunshine breaking through the clouds. These songs are ridiculously easy to like. They also create the dangerous illusion that all you need to do is invite two friends into your basement, plug in a few guitars, and start casually cranking out hooks like these. If only it were that simple.

Dark Days is streaming on all the usual places, not yet fully available on Bandcamp though.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp