The Exeter Popes

Given the name and artwork on the Exeter Popes' debut release, it wouldn't have been any surprise if this turned out to be the second coming of someone like the Asuza Plane. Instead this brief effort is a collaboration between Stephen Lipuma, formerly of the N.Y.C.-based band Snob Hill, and Michael J. Bowman, who handles the rhythm section while Lipuma takes care of vocals and singing. If anything this three-song collection calls to mind the work of Orange Cake Mix — if less completely delicate and restrained, the Exeter Popes' sensibilities of winsome guitar pop with a hint of '80s post-punk haze isn't far removed. Bowman's playing provides Lipuma's songs with a bit of heft, his bass in particular sometimes surfacing strongly to anchor the sweet evanescence of a song like "Temporary Skin." It's a quick but engaging enough start for the duo, so time will tell what will become of them.