Night Night Rock (Independent)

Because the world is by and large a disgustingly miserable place, it’s amazing how upbeat some folks manage to be. Take, for example, the folk-rooted Teapot Hill.

Based on its title alone, Night Night Rock sounds like either a long lost ’80s hair-metal release or an album aimed at chronically unrepentant diaper dumpers. Instead, what you get is 10 bright-eyed exercises in the art of letting the sunshine in. The quintet proves itself as adept at channelling the paisley-pop ’60s (“[Gonna Be] Together”) as it is at doing harvest-moon Americana (“On the Wilds”).

Every member of Teapot Hill plays beautifully, with violinist Zuzanna Juszkiewicz in particular turning in gold-star work on the swooning standout “Carol Anne”. Where Teapot Hill falls down a little is that the band’s male singers—bassist Matthew Friesen and guitarist Ryan Wugalter—sometimes try for notes they can’t quite hit. But if the off-kilter likes of the Flaming Lips mean more to you than Fleet Foxes, that won’t matter, especially on “I Won’t Let You Down.”

Overall, there’s enough easygoing goodness here to compensate for whatever shortcoming Teapot Hill might have. Hell, you even get some edge, this coming in the harmony-heavy gem “Poor Moon”, which starts with guitarist Eva Prkachin solemnly intoning: “That’s enough fucking around.” If Night Night Rock didn’t convince you otherwise, you’d almost wonder if she’s one of those people who thinks the world’s one giant, miserable shit hole.