Twenty-one songs. Twenty-three minutes. Tony Molina just made the most deceptively simple record you’ll hear all year and it’s going to ruin you in the best way possible.

Look, most of these songs don’t even crack the one-minute mark, which will either make you think parts are missing from your copy or make you realize Molina is operating on a completely different wavelength than the rest of us. The man writes guitar pop like he’s rationing hooks for the apocalypse—every note counts, nothing overstays its welcome, and by the time you realize how good a song is, it’s already over and the next one is punching you in the heart.

If you’re looking for the buzzsawy alt-pop of years past, you won’t find it here—well, except for Have Your Way, a song I’ve played about twelve times today. Instead, Molina offers a masterclass in writing timeless guitar pop melodies for attention spans too short to sit through a three-minute song. One of the longer and most accomplished tracks is Livin’ Wrong, and even that stays well under the two-minute mark. The only song that exceeds it is Violets of Dawn, coincidentally a cover of an Eric Andersen tune—and what an amazing version it is.

Recorded at home on 8-track analog tape, On This Day has a warm quality enhanced by Mellotron, trumpet, Hammond organ, piano, and bells that never feel cluttered. It is an extremely rewarding and addictive record. You finish it, you hit repeat, you notice things you missed the first three times through. It’s like eating the world’s best cookie one tiny bite at a time just to make it last. LP out now on Slumberland Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Slumberland