When the disc's first track, "Tried," builds into an angry three-chord stomp, Run On sound the way the Patti Smith Group might have if they'd come of age in the '80s. When the boys take over singing on the new-wavish "Xmas," it's reminiscent of early Talking Heads. So don't worry, you don't have to be an insider to appreciate the way Run On bend the rules of pop without breaking them, the way they weave avant-gardisms into the surprisingly bright and tuneful fabric of their songs, or the way Licht's scorching feedback plays off Garner's sweet and twangy vocal melodies.

-- Matt Ashare