Smug Brothers are messing with the natural order of things. Aren’t bands supposed to peak early and ride the nostalgia wave from there? Apparently not. While most groups flame out or fade away, these Dayton veterans are only getting sharper, stranger, and better with age. Their latest, Stuck on Beta (out now on Anyway Records), follows two of their strongest efforts to date — In the Book of Bad Ideas and Another Bar Behind the Night — and somehow still levels up.

The songs on Stuck on Beta share a kinship to Big Star, The Lemon Twigs and Guided By Voices. But more than anything, this album feels like the product of a veteran band brimming with inspiration and drive. Even setbacks in the recording process—like the motor on their trusted 4-track dying—were turned into assets, lending the album its wobbly, lo-fi charm and a great title.

Smug Brothers’ knack for jangly classic power pop is at full display on Stuck on Beta, and if you arrive expecting timeless melodies and sharp hooks, you won’t be disappointed, There are surprises as well, with Smug Brothers expanding their musical landscape with cello, violin and saxaphone. It makes for a highly durable listening experience. Start with the strong opening sequence, and you’ll find it hard to stop listening to this modern guitar pop classic in disguise.

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