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“Arbor Labor Union play post-punk guitar rock in such a tried-and-true mold that you almost want to resurrect the term “college rock” — now defunct and totally meaningless — just for them. Born “from a peach tree in Georgia in the American south,” according to their bio, the quartet combines the droning jams of Luna with the tender tension of Ought (and the squealing yawps of Meat Puppets frontman Curt Kirkwood) on debut album I Hear You, one of the most satisfying full-band records of 2016’s first half. The tracks are long, the six-strings are loud, and the grooves are absolutely transfixing. Though the feeling they produce is old, the songs themselves feel new, just the latest in a proud lineage. The band offers in comment to SPIN: “We hold these truths to be self evident: This is now music of the modern era. No genre revival. If a voice within whispers “Listen” you must respond I Hear You. As did we and will continue to do. I love you.” -ALU

The lyrics to “Just A Gwen,” from Atlanta pop band Art School Jocks, may ring familiar to women. As guitarist Dianna Settles sings, over slinky, surf-y guitars and a dead-steady beat: “Carry your keys / Between your knuckles / You never know who’s trying to follow you home / Smile back and / Say you’re sorry / You shouldn’t be out this late alone” – They’re all part of a litany of reminders that most young women know by heart, a category of precautions we’re supposed to take to protect ourselves from harassment or violence. The boredom is palpable in Settles’ tone as she sings the catchy, repetitive melody, as if to imply: How many times have we heard this — and how many times has it failed us? This first single from the band’s debut self-titled EP is a great example of why Art School Jocks self-applied the description “existential basement pop,” with its hooky melody and weighty subject matter (and its titular reference of another pop tribute to frustrating assumptions about womanhood). By taking back the familiar, frustrating language of these safety tips, the band aims to expose their hypocrisy. “‘Just a Gwen’ is one reminder in a long lineage of reminders that we live in a society that places the responsibility for harassment and rape prevention on the women affected by it,” the band says in an email to NPR Music. “Campus organizations, articles and pamphlets suggest ways to avoid becoming a target ranging from self-defense pointers to more conservative fashion recommendations, rather than educating men on consent and the harm of sexual harassment.” More than just an eyeroll, “Just a Gwen” is a rallying cry against the assumption that avoiding harassment ought to be the job of those at risk of being harassed.

Art School Jocks comes out June 2 on Father/Daughter.

Breathers challenge perceptions of synth-pop on their new album Designed to Break. Each song is a refreshingly honest dive into the modern human psyche balanced with vibrant synth lines that capture the imagination and drip like dew into our parched subconscious. Despite the pop moniker, Breathers defy categorization, drawing inspiration from the Sophisti-pop movement and the cryptic poetry of Steely Dan. Even the album title is multi-faceted, referencing both the analog gear that Breathers use to craft their sound and the disposable nature of modern technology.

Over the past few years, Breathers have laid the groundwork for Designed to Break with a series of insightful tracks featuring T. Lee Gunselman and Jake Thomson on synths and vocals, with Mike Netland providing live drums and sequencing. The result is a danceable mix of organic and synthetic sounds that warp traditional song structures into something subversive yet enticing. Throughout this album, lead singer and lyricist Gunselman offers thoughtful observations on isolation and anxiety, focusing on the corresponding weaknesses and strengths of the human spirit, and the importance of listening to oneself apart from the cacophony of an increasingly commercialized world. Each topic is couched in a comforting sensitivity which plays off the spacious chords and delicate melodies of Designed to Break.

Both sunny and cerebral, there’s an intangible generosity in the way Gunselman expounds on society and culture while the band weave jazz-influenced chords into Mediterranean hues. On Designed to Break, Breathers have jettisoned everything that doesn’t shimmer and fused what remains into a rejuvenating cosmic polyphony. Never has a synth record felt so intrinsically human. Designed to Break is out 9/12 on LP/Digital via Irrelevant Music.

Named after his favorite blaxploitation actor, Thalmus Rasulala is a new solo project from Atlanta music mainstay Jonathan Merenivitch. Over the past few years, the multi-instrumentalist and vocalist has helped craft futuristic pop with Janelle Monáe, atmospheric dream pop for Del Venicci, and harsh art rock for Jock Gang, while still finding time to lead Shepherds, whose most recent LP, Exit Youth, managed to touch upon everything from bleak post-punk, to ambient drone and fuzzed-out rock. Now, it appears, you can add country music to his long resume of styles.

According to Merenivitch, he created the project in order to reconcile his inherent desire for acceptance with his longing for solitude. “I find that country music is the most appropriate vehicle for these thoughts and ideas,” he explains via email. “The songs will cover heartbreak, police brutality, nostalgia and the general anxiety of existence. Also, never forget George Jones has soul.”