Listen: Nerves Junior - "Goodnight Nobody"

Like a phoenix Louisville band Nerves Junior rise from their flames of assumed self-destruction and are born anew as a far more polished beast than I could've ever expected. I enjoyed the fuzzy guitar rock of their 2011 debut full length As Bright As Your Night Light but the newly minted quartet's comeback single "Goodnight Nobody" off their upcoming Craters EP is crystal clear treadable pop rock of a rather enjoyable caliber. Nothing is obscured as each member shifts in an out of focus to the tune of an everpresent synthy hum. Nerves Junior's new path  may be more brightly illuminated but even that's not enough to pigeonhole the band.

The pop dolled out here isn't your throwaway, bubblegum variety. Nor is it the pretentious self-serious artiness that's the other extreme. No, instead Nerves Junior return with newfound clarity that hints at sunnier days and good times on the horizon. "Goodnight Nobody" is accessible but not cheaply so. The melody is what's really important here as each bandmember skirts around the edges with helpful embellishments and yet, there's a drive that keeps it from being more than that. There's a rock band at play here. They may not be playing with balls-to-the-wall energy but they're alive and well, precise as hell and smart enough to know when to stay out of the way.