When Strawberry Whiplash announced this release with an EP earlier this year, it already felt like something special — and People Like Us delivers exactly what that EP promised. In other words, it’s everything you’d hope for from Glasgow duo Laz and Sandra McCluskey.

The title track of said EP, At the End of the Day— which I previously called “peak Strawberry Whiplash” — remains one of several highlights on the band’s  latest, a record with a healthy dose of feel-good energy. And not just because the tracklist includes cheeky titles like We Built This City on Indie Pop. This is cutesy, charming cuddlecore — twee pop excellence through and through. It’s jangly and strummy in all the right places, yet never without a trace of melancholy.

If the October blues are creeping in, Under a Summer Spell will have you longing for brighter skies, while The Vampire Life (with its defiant repetitive “I hate the sunshine”) might just help you embrace the dark months ahead. Or maybe the Tullycraft-esque One Way Ticket to Mars will tempt you to escape it all entirely. And when all else fails, Baby (You’re a Dancer) will remind you that dancing your blues away — even alone and awkwardly — still counts.

People Like Us is out now on CD via Matinée Recordings.

Add to wantlist: Matinée