Engine 88: Snowman

So much so-called "punk/pop" is really just rock. And Engine 88's sophomore album Snowman flat-out rocks, with 38 minutes of smart lyrics, driving guitars and hyper-infectious choruses. If you analyze it enough to determine its formula, it's a very Superchunk-esque kind of rock, with compact songs and high-pitched vocals and a pace that's just controlled enough not to get out of hand and hurt someone. It's a marvelous little record—tighter and more musically focused than 1995's also-impressive Clean Your Room—and it seems to overflow with wondrous nuggets like "Ballerina" and "Seconal." Singer Tom Barnes has a distinctively cracked lyrical style, and in an ideal world, it'd make him a star.