TOPS - Way To Be Loved

Insanely charming Canadian indie pop group return with a new album and a stupid catchy lead single.

TOPS are an insanely charming Canadian band who release with Arbutus Records and make something like glossy AM radio soft rock but with a DIY attitude. They released an album called 'Tender Opposites' in 2012 and earlier this year a new single called Change of Heart.

Their new album is ready and will be called 'Picture You Staring'. Like all their stuff, it's self-written, self-recorded, self-produced, self-engineered, and was recorded over a 12 month period at Arbutus Records' office-cum-studio. Originally a three-piece, TOPS have expanded for this album to include a new family member, bassist Madeline Glowicki.

New song Way To Be Loved is the opening track on the album (and has lyrics that give the record its name) and pretty much captures the group's dynamic: relaxed attitude but tight musicianship, an uncluttered sound with a clean interplay between instruments rather than a big blast of sound. It's also stupid catchy, which you can probably expect across the whole record.

You can pre-order the album now. Apparently if you do, you'll get what the album's press release describes as "an informational PDF " about drummer Riley Fleck created by his bandmates that "depicts his growth and development into a man." Guess it was either that or a tote bag.

TOPS 'Picture You Staring' tracklist:

01. Way To Be Loved
02. Blind Faze
03. Circle The Dark
04. Outside
05. All The People Sleep
06. Sleeptalker
07. Superstition Future
08. 2 Shy
09. Change Of Heart
10. Easier Said
11. Driverless Passenger
12. Destination

Live dates:

July 30th: Danforth Music Hall (supporting Blood Orange), Toronto

August 29th: La Vitrola, Montreal

September 19th: Sala Rossa, Montreal

Arbutus Records release 'Picture You Staring' on September 8th 2014 (pre-order).