Au Pair is a meeting of the minds between the Jayhawks’ Gary Louris and the Old Ceremony’s Django Haskins. They met while participating in a Big Star tribute concert in 2013, and that band’s power-pop is a big part of Au Pair’s DNA. “In Every Window,” from the duo’s upcoming album One Armed Candy Bear, reminds me of the Zombies’ “Care Of Cell 44″ in that it is a bright, breezy pop song about a criminal. But whereas Rod Argent was writing to an imprisoned lover, Louris and Haskins penned this one from a stalker’s point of view. It’s especially funny because other than a noisy breakdown before the bridge, they play it like a love song. There’s a heavy Robert Pollard influence on this one along with the twinges of Americana you’d expect given the names involved. Now for some quotes from the men behind the music!

Louris:

“In Every Window”….a sunny song with a somewhat dark and twisted lyric. We are not encouraging stalking in any way, shape, or form. But we do take pleasure in our achievement of making it sound uplifting!!

Haskins:

“In Every Window” be​gan as a Left Banke-type pop song but quickly veered into creepy stalker territory where, to be honest, I usually feel more at home as a songwriter anyway.

I’d say this tune will sneak up on you, but its appeal is obvious and immediate. Listen below.

Pre-order One Armed Candy Bear here.