This year winter has been one of the coldest and snowiest in Chicago’s not-overly tropical history with the third polar vortex of the season currently camping out over the area through at least the end of February. Fortunately, in the middle of this Chiberian ordeal local sextet the Lemons (not to be confused with the early ’90s Seattle alt-rockers) dropped a debut album that positively radiates toasty mid-summer happiness.
Started by bandleader Chris Kramer and his upstairs neighbor John Lemon (get it?), the Lemons are a ruthless delivery vehicle for some the leanest, sweetest, fluffiest guitar pop out there in 2014. Their debut album Hello, We’re the Lemons was released on cassette and Bandcamp in January and is really more of a glorified EP, packing 14 songs into 16 minutes.
“Best Day”, at 1:48 is practically bloated by Lemons’ standards but it never comes close to wearing out its welcome. The song’s bubbly, whimsical optimist, tinkling guitar and insistently-danceable bass perfectly encapsulate the group’s mid-fi doe-eyed charm. During this winter of our discontent, songs like this serve to remind us that there will come a time when things like climbing a tree or feeling joy will again be possible.