Perhaps there are no better opening lyrics to a song released this year than “Well it’s a pretty nice day for a kick in the face / And if you like it so much you should take my place.” That comes from Ultra Lights and the buzzy Atlanta band’s dirty lil’ rock n’ droll bop “Bad Feeling,” which makes us wonder if perhaps there is no better song title released this year, as well. Luckily, “Bad Feeling” takes the stress of the day away with a quickness that belies the detached cool embedded in its sonics, and it’s featured on the foursome’s debut album, this month’s Pleasure’s All Yours. Comparisons to The Strokes and Pavement are required by law to fill this space, but that’s just selling John Robinson and the gang mad short, as this is a startling record with the type of musical and lyrical goodies that should endure on our collective playlists well until it’s time to compile our year-in-review handies. The increasingly beige garage rock shade of indie rock sure could use a kick in the face right now, and Ultra Lights seem to have enough swagger to effortlessly lift the foot above the waist without missing a nihilistic beat. Come for the smoke-drag allure of “Bad Feeling,” stay for the type of album we’ve been waiting for a hot minute now.
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