In 2009, Darlings‘ debut LP, Yeah I Know, cracked my top ten albums of the year. Well the NYC-based garage rock band is back with a new EP, due to drop on Famous Class Records in mid-March. If “Big Girl” is a tell-tale sign of what’s to come, Warma promises to be just as raucous and fun, lo-fi and in-your-face as the previous LP. “Big Girl” on video is a dimly-lit (apparently by flashlight) performance by the band, cast in a pale, near sepia-style yellow.

The words put to song Cool man. Great girl. seem so simple, but they work oh so well in Darlings‘ chill garage pop youth anthem “Teenage Girl”. Muted colors make the video near black-and-white, a true tribute to the song’s laid-back nature. Footage stems from summer barbecues, and as the wind brings in the first of the winter chills the video extends a welcome hand to those nostalgic memories from just a few months ago.

Garage pop is gaining momentum, so it’s natural that we’re seeing lots of great bands that fit the description. But while most of these bands are injecting a massive quantity of fuzz into their guitars and vocals as well as whatever other instruments they can get their hands on, Darlings keep the gritty garage sounds refreshingly clean on Yeah I Know. Thus the production features stripped-down instrumentation that’s raw; it’s also filled with a pop bounce and enough hooks to get you caught up in its simplicity.