Mac McCaughan – Non-Believers

If you’re seeking the buzzsaw powerpop that Mac McCaughan perfected across Superchunk’s quarter-century career, this may disappoint you. Only briefly, mind: the first full release under the Merge chief’s own name, Non-Believers retains his freewheeling melodicism but replaces squall and velocity with light synth touches and a wistful sense of space. There are still earworms-a-plenty – Barely There and Box Batteries provide further proof of his knack for instant, perky choruses – but this time they’re gentler, and no worse off for that.

Skillfully balanced against the mortal themes of recent ‘Chunk opus I Hate Music, Mystery Flu and Wet Leaves find him back in the midst of teenage romance, articulating directionless intensity with a youthful fervour that belies his 47 years. Indeed, these songs of love, cars and suburbs evoke a middle-class American adolescence with such eloquent warmth that you may end up confusing it for your own – masterful pop craftsmanship at its absolute best. [Will Fitzpatrick]