Cats on Fire: Our Temperance Movement

Our Temperance Movement , the second release by four poppy Finns, Cats on Fire, pairs gorgeous guitar with extraordinary lyrics and bright, frosted hooks written by vocalist Mattias Björkas. Opener “Horoscope” tells, “I don’t believe in happy ever after / A pyramid scheme I keep telling you / Closer. “ “Fabric”’s” honky-tonk rhythm belies its self-destructive cry, “Breaking the bones of a lover / Moving right on to another.”

Catch the in-between offering “Garden Lights”: “I’m one of the fallen leaves covering your garden / Blackened by neglect from you.” “Tears in Your Cup” examines rockers like the Yardbirds and Ten Years After, “It’s you and the Stones sharing some alcohol / You’ll have whatever Keith has.” Elsewhere, “The Border of This Land” juxtaposes war heroes and civilian emotional residue, while “The Steady Pace” foreshadows abandonment and yields rich harmonies. A pretty five-note glockenspiel embraces “Never Sell the House” with welcome-mat magnetism, “Come on and meet me when I come home / I’ll shovel all the snow.”