Kiwijr Cooler Returns

At the start of 2020, Toronto’s Kiwi Jr self-released their debut album, the exuberant Football Money, packed with catchy guitar-driven gems.

Since then the world’s changed, but the four-piece are back a year on, now on Sub Pop with another 13 infectious songs showcasing their slacker charms.

“There’s a crowd gathering outside our apartment,” opener Tyler starts, a non-socially distanced hymn to under-achieving. Snippets of lyrics stand out — “newspaper headline, homemaker takes it too far”, “there’s no proof Woodstock happened in the first place” — while Undecided Voters takes aim at political apathy.

Maid Marian’s Toast, an oblique tale of arson and insurance fraud, is a typical example of their absurdist leanings.

There are echoes of other bands, Pavement, Parquet Courts, Tokyo Police Club, and Norma Jean’s Jacket has The Velvet Underground chords, but Kiwi Jr are their own band, scrappy at times, but smart and always thrilling.

Kiwi Jr have missed out on touring, but the time spent in the studio instead of on stage has paid off, and if you liked Football Money, you’ll love Cooler Returns.

Review by Alex Green