In Residents, Post Post’s follow-up to their promising debut Meta Meta, you find them moving from the Garage(band) to a studio producing a much cleaner sound. But what still remains are well-crafted indie pop gems that show off the songwriting chemistry of this young four-piece. The themes of relationship troubles, heartbreak and coping with loneliness are rather common and run throughout the four-song EP, but still remain oh so relatable as Michelle Zauner’s earnest, child-like vocals draw you in while her lyrics read like they are from her own personal diary. You almost don’t want to listen because they cathartically reveal those moments in relationships that are only suppose to be between two people, but Marisa Helgeson’s melodic synth lines and Casey Sowa’s drum accents keep the album light and almost joyous. Well, the oohs and whoas on opening track “Architects” make it hard for you not to smile as well. “Drafts” is the standout on the album for me with its infectious melding of Zauner’s guitar riffs and Kevin O’Halloran’s bass resonating in my head and lines like “so we last forever beyond bones breaking”. Add Residents to your collection. It’s a brighter alternative for those break-up/relationship blues than Beck’s Sea of Change. Less chances of cutting involved. – H.M. Kauffman