One of the joys of power pop crate digging is that, based on a band name, an album cover, and a few track titles, there’s always a chance you’ll unearth a forgotten gem from the ‘80s. And for a genre so criminally underrated and undervalued, those gems often come cheap. Discovering The Squirms’ new self-titled album from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, brings exactly that thrill — that feeling of stumbling on something overlooked but irresistible.

I somehow missed their 2013 debut, but honestly, the new record sounds so authentically ‘80s that it hardly matters. This is the kind of music destined to slip under the radar, however unfairly. Start with the first three songs: Got My Mind (Set On You Girl) blends power pop and college rock in perfect measure, Boof (odd title, great tune) starts with a classic jangle before veering into alt-pop, and Wanna See You lets synths and guitars duel for your affection.

As the album unfolds, The Squirms reveal even more sides — the rock’n’roll grit of Thunderbolt Sally, Rad City Kids, and Drag Master Supreme contrasts beautifully with the jangly sweetness of Here Knows When, a song that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Teenage Fanclub record.

By the end, The Squirms sound like the bar band you always hope to stumble upon — the one with loose energy, zero pretense, but stellar songs.

The Squirms is streaming now (yet not on Bandcamp, hence the preview embed via a different source that you are used to from our site) and is out on LP at Rad City Records.

Add to wantlist: Discogs