Kevin Robertson makes a fourth appearance on the wantlist—once with his band the Vapour Trails, and twice under his own name. Yellow Painted Moon is another Kevin Robertson record worth sharing. Here is a human being who has cracked the code of writing quality guitar pop. This time, he’s playing with his son Scott and Nick Bertling, with the trio recording the twelve new tunes in Kevin’s bedroom, at Scott’s university, and in Nick’s basement.

The return? Just what you’d expect based on past performance: a mix of jangle pop, late ’70s power pop, and a sprinkle of ’60s psych pop. As with 2024’s The Call of the Sea, Yellow Painted Moon starts strongly with We Found the Summer and Message of Love, two songs that hit the sweet spot between Teenage Fanclub and Big Star.

Like flipping through a box of old Polaroids, where every photo somehow has a perfect hook, the record trades in subtle charm and quiet craftsmanship. Zooming out, it’s definitely more quiet, more clean, and dare I say more mature than most music I cover here. But zoom in, spend time with it, and you’ll find something to like in each of these songs.

I, for one, am not done exploring the music of Kevin Robertson and friends and family.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp