If you hear that a band's from Long Beach, California, you expect a certain kind of sun-dappled pop. Well, there's something true about that assumption with Sweet Nobody. The Cali outfit's new one, Driving Off to Nowhere, is full of the kind of West Coast pop that mixes smooth vocals, smart production, and laid-back hooks. All good, right?
Centered around the vocals of Joy Deyo, the best tunes from Sweet Nobody hit a kind of peak of radio-friendly alternative rock. "I Don't Know When I'll See You Again" is yearning and earnest, while "Making It Right" is Sheryl Crow redone for the indie set. "Revenge" is even better as it finds a way to marry the jittery New Wave of Missing Persons and Berlin with a modern songwriting style. It's an excellent little number, as is "Forget Me", a song that Jenny Lewis would be proud to call her own.
There's a nice familiarity to the sounds of Sweet Nobody. Driving Off to Nowhere is full of the sort of listening pleasures that should appeal to fans of Rilo Kiley and Juliana Hatfield. This band isn't re-inventing the form, but they are cranking out really pleasing alt-pop.
Driving Off to Nowhere by Sweet Nobody is out now. Details via Bandcamp.
[Photo: Sweet Nobody]