The Dig: Good Luck and Games EP

This is the catchiest, most intriguing power pop band to emerge out of the no-name pile in some time. Brooklyn’s The Dig has one self-released full-length prior to this EP and a growing live following. Even so, they’ll most likely be news to you, the way they were news to me. That’s good news, though, The Dig is fairly crackling with potential.

The record starts with a riotous drum-beat, crunchy, palm-muted guitars and sweet pop-leaning vocals (by bandleader David Baldwin) that might easily remind you of Squeeze. There’s a certain new wave-y bounce to this particular track, but follow-on “Lovesick Woman” leans more into shoe-gazey murk. Here a churning, distorted, slow-circling guitar riff grounds the piece, tempering the hookiness of the chorus and giving way to a little bit of shredding in the middle. “Marianne” has a Beatles-esque pop moment, adding a string quartet opening to its slinky-tempo’d electro beat.

The closer “The Last Thing” has an even mellower vibe at its start, all tight Pernice-esque harmonies and airy jangle — but it picks things up considerable toward the end with a faster, full-on rock coda. And “Any Day Now” sounds like Calla’s little brother, all whispery insinuations and bass-inflected beats. All of which is to say there’s plenty of diversity, especially for an abbreviated outing, and no real stylistic missteps. Clocking in at 17 minutes, Good Luck and Games will probably leave you wanting more, but that was surely the plan all along.