Kiwi Jr. are a jangly, bemused, revved-up indie rock band from Toronto. At the beginning of the year, they released their debut album Football Money, which got a lot of people reaching for Pavement comparisons. That influence is definitely there, but Kiwi Jr. sound more uptight than Pavement, and there’s more sweetness in their silliness. to me, they sound more like what might happen if Parquet Courts tried really hard to sound like Courtney Barnett. This is, in my estimation, a good thing.

January 2020 must’ve been a bad time to release a debut album, but Kiwi Jr. haven’t let it slow them down. Since Football Money dropped, they’ve taken part in this past summer’s Galaxie 500 covers series and signed to Sub Pop. Early next year, barely a year after releasing Football Money, they’ll come out with their sophomore LP Cooler Returns. Today, they’ve shared the title track, a scratchy post-punk jam with some seriously funny lyrics: “It’s not fair to be strung out on the back of your ATV/ Throwing dead birds into the air, singing, ‘Howdy, neighbors, how do you like my new ride?’/ And now I can see that after spending some time apart.”

“Cooler Returns” also has a seriously fun music video from director Sean Egerton Foreman. Through the magic of terrible special effects, we see Kiki Jr. playing a Super Bowl halftime show, getting kidnapped by aliens, and journeying through space. Watch it all happen below.

While you’re at it, check out the video for Kiwi Jr.’s other Cooler Returns single “Undecided Voters.”

TRACKLIST:
01 “Tyler”
02 “Undecided Voters”
03 “Maid Marian’s Toast”
04 “Highlights Of 100″
05 “Only Here For A Haircut”
06 “Cooler Returns”
07 “Guilty Party”
08 “Omaha”
09 “Domino”
10 “Nashville Wedding”
11 “Dodger”
12 “Norma Jean’s Jacket”
13 “Waiting in Line”

Cooler Returns is out 1/22 on Sub Pop.