‘I never really thought, That I would end up on my own, Now I’m sitting here, And I’m feeling so alone, And you’re never coming home’ (On My Own)

Montreal’s Private Lives return with their second full-length, Salt Of The Earth, and follow-up to 2023’s excellent debut, Hit Record.  The band’s sonic keystone remains an ineffably catchy fusion of garage punk and power pop.  Sharply taut guitars (the title track’s core riff is a particular entrancing) and a crisply punchy rhythm continue to work in vibrant, high octane tandem.  They prove the ideal complement to the nasally melodic vocals and layers of supporting harmonies as they explore themes of hyperactive emotions, fragile self-confidence, and doomed relationships.

Yet at the same time, Salt Of The Earth, also feels like a notably confident step forward.  There is a real assurance, even swagger, to the songwriting.  The fundamentals can appear deceptively straight forward.  Yet the band weave them together with such an irresistible zest, fired in equal measure by invention and economy.  From the ‘tick tock’ fuelled finale of Time to the outrageously infectious On My Own, by way of the strident chorus of I Get Around this is an album that brims with an unquenchable verve.