Sorority Noise were behind one of last year’s most disarmingly charming debuts, and they’re following it up next month with Joy, Departed, their doozy of a sophomore effort. After undergoing some lineup changes and a bit of shift in style, they’ve doubled down on their knack for an irresistible chorus and added some Weezer-esque dramatics for a bigger, grander version of what they were so good at before. Lead single “Art School Wannabe” is concerned with how the world perceives you versus how you perceive yourself. There’s a tendency to glorify artists as tortured individuals — we want them to keep living through the pain in their songs, not move past it. But that’s not really how life works. The fact of the matter is that things are usually pretty OK, at least until they’re not. But our generation can’t seem to let go of bitter sarcasm, always cutting down our accomplishments to seem more accessible or down-to-earth or whatever. “Maybe I’m my own greatest fear, maybe I’m too scared to admit that I might not be as dark as I think,” Cam Boucher sings in his crystal-cut sardonic voice. “Maybe I am not the person that I never wanted to be.” He’s joined by Modern Baseball’s Jake Ewald on the bridge, adding credence to the idea that we’re not really all alone. “Art School Wannabe” is another catchy entry for a band that can’t seem to produce anything but, and tops it all off with a killer riff at the end. Listen below.

(via The A.V. Club)

Joy, Departed is out 6/16 via Topshelf Records.