Clumsy Lovers – Smart Kid

Given that their sound falls somewhere between the sugary pop of Barenaked Ladies and the acoustic folk of the Duhks, it’s no surprise the Clumsy Lovers hail from Canada. They’ve not always had a knack for memorable pop songs, but on Smart Kid, primary songwriters Chris Jonat and Trevor Rogers show significant maturity. “London Bridge” is a painfully honest and gut-wrenching self-examination concealed under a deceivingly happy reggae-pop veneer, while the closing track, “Not Long For This World”, reassures that death is not the end of life but merely the beginning of something bigger. These are fairly heady subjects, but the band’s pop mastery makes the songs work musically.