Well, this is just not shocking. After Josh Caterer's brilliant Covid cabarets, why not a new Smoking Popes album as well? The obvious answers (too old, too out of touch, too mired in the past) are rendered bogus with the opening chords of the first track, "Golden Moment." Yes, the Smoking Popes have always trended more toward the Weezer side of pop punk, but Caterer's ringing tenor is an unparalleled instrument, and the band never quite cheeses out.

Smoking Popes Lovely Stuff (Anxious & Angry)

And while these songs certainly recall the halcyon days of the late 90s (ahem), Smoking Popes don't just rehash old tropes. Sure, "modern rock" hasn't really evolved much in the last couple of decades, but the songs here sound more of this moment than one in the past.

The band is as tight as ever, and these songs are probably more consistently great than the Popes have dropped into an album in ages. Caterer's voice still amazes, and the sound can go from a whisper to a buzzsaw in seconds. In other words, everything one might hope for and more.

If Caterer's two solo outings didn't make the point strongly enough, there's plenty more gas in the tank. This isn't the most adventurous punk pop, but it is spectacularly played and produced. I didn't hear a misstep or even a hint of filler. Perhaps that's what seven years between albums will do, or perhaps Smoking Popes are just that good. I don't care. This sucker is an early entrant in the driving with the windows down album of the year. A real gusher.