Tweens

Cincinnati’s Tweens serve up punk-pop with the usual sugar rush of sweet harmonies and amped-up rhythms. It isn’t until “Stoner” that the band slow down; that track turns out to be that most unusual of instrumentals where no one takes a solo and it feels like someone forgot to mix the lead vocal to the front. However, before this unusual break, the songs—“Bored in the City,” “McMicken,” and “Be Mean”—charm, with singer Bridget Battle showing off her brassy vocals and love for Ronnie Spector and Cyndi Lauper. “Stoner” segues into “Don’t Wait Up,” and the somewhat subdued pace works in the band’s favor, bringing together an album highlight that’s both reflective and plenty alive. Signs of garage rock spring to life with “Rattle + Rollin’” and “Hardcore Boy,” where Tweens sound like they recorded everything way too loud at the local roller rink for maximum impact. “Want U” is the ballad that feels as if it’s going to blow at any second yet never does. The bonus track “I’m Gonna Steal Your Boyfriend” sounds like the title suggests: a Ramones-like take on vintage Phil Spector–style pop.