Seattle "mando-pop" duo Chinese American Bear channel the best of golden-era blog-rock: the romantic haze of the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, the peppy soul grooves of Tennis, and the cutiepie earnestness of Matt and Kim. On sophomore album Wah!!!, they put their own diasporic spin on the sound, mixing English and Mandarin while seasoning songs with foodie-centric lyrics about red bean mochi and oolong tea.
Their second-generation immigrant stories come full circle on drop-dead gorgeous closer "Take Me to Beijing (一起回北京)," a shoegaze daydream that turns a trip to the parents' homeland into a sweetly nostalgic fantasy.