Acey Monaro hails from Australia, but she's lived in Austin since meeting her now-husband. He's in the band, as are a couple other Austin musical stalwarts. And while Go Fever is something of an Acey Monaro joint, it is a band that stands on its own.

Go Fever Go Fever (self-released)

The band's website refers to this as surf pop, but perhaps that's in an Aussie sense. Us 'mericans tend to think of layered harmonies when it comes to surfing, while I think the idea here is the heavy use of bent guitar notes within a pop context. Y'know, like Midnight Oil or something. Maybe that's a bit too far into the weeds with the unnecessary musical theory.

Whatever the sound, Go Fever plays tight pop songs that simply explode with joy. Monaro is a somewhat understated singer, but her slightly underhanded delivery is a fine counterpoint to the relentlessly bounding music. She lends some heft and color to the solid musical base. The combination is often intoxicating.

And so, what we have here is something like an Austin version of a British Columbian pop band. Led by an Australian. Does that make sense? I have a feeling I'm making this far too complicated, which is a mistake that Go Fever never makes. Steady on, with feeling.

Jon Worley