Corner Laughers

San Francisco, CA band the Corner Laughers aren't shy about wearing their heart on their record sleeve. A colourful hummingbird drinking nectar from a delicate flower implies a happy summery scene, and that's exactly what they try to create on each and every song on their second album, Ultraviolet Garden. The music is relentlessly upbeat and sunny, jam-packed full of the kind of cuteness that makes it hard not to smile when listening to it. Naturally, the generous use of ukulele doesn't hurt when it comes to generating smiles either, although there is sometimes too much busyness in the arrangements when they are trying too hard. They needn't bother because it's the lyrics where the Corner Laughers shine. They elevate them above so much regular indie pop because their playful use of language is both equally amusing and intelligent. It more than helps to compensate for the more one-dimensional aspects of the music. Plus, they also create bizarre scenarios about ancient civilizations and feline custody battles rather than just the usual boy-meets-girl stuff and that also helps to keep things interesting. The vocal interplay between principal songwriters Karla Kane and Angela Silletto, and the way their harmonies dance around each other, is the final piece of the puzzle in what is a fun little record.