[4/5]
When Irish quintet the Thrills released their debut album So Much For The City in 2003, some hip critics ranked the disc alongside efforts from the Shins and Death Cab For Cutie as best indie-rock albums of the year. However, despite City reaching No. 3 on the U.K. charts and multiple appearances on then-tastemaking show The O.C., the Thrills' fusion of Conor Deasy's Irish-flecked vocals over sunny Califorina riffs never seemed to make a noticeable dent in U.S. listeners' playlists. After their sophomore full-length Let's Bottle Bohemia was met with similar success in Ireland but little response in the U.S. in 2004, the band are back with their latest, Teenager. The Thrills effortlessly combine sleepy melodies over tight, jangly guitars, banjos and harmonicas; and the songs range from slightly driving ("Nothing Changes Around Here") to pleasantly lackadaisical (the title track). Hopefully, Teenager will teach North America what the U.K. already seems to understand: Easy listening doesn't get much better than this. (VIRGIN) Rachel Lux
 Official Website: http://www.virginrecords.com
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