The Regrettes - How Do You Love?

Teenage band The Regrettes made their mark in 2017 with a debut album that combined vintage punk with the 1960s girl group sound. Feel Your Feelings Fool featured lead vocalist-songwriter Lydia Night taking down jerky guys, dismantling body shaming, and confronting sexism with lines like, “I’ll still kick your ass even in my skirt.” So at first, it’s disappointing to hear that gritty voice praising blueberry eyes, dimples, and baking cookies on the follow-up How Do You Love?. The new album definitely focuses on dating, but after a few careful listens, it’s clear Night is on top of her game.

Starting with the spoken word piece “Are You In Love?,” the album guides listeners through the ups and downs of a typical relationship. “I Dare You,” with its playful, Motown arrangement, and the energetic “Coloring Book” capture the uneasy euphoria of those first romantic inclinations, and “Fog” could have been a Ronettes hit single in the early 1960s. “Pumpkin,” which has more of a ballad feel, gets pretty close to syrupy (it’s a boyfriend’s nickname) but otherwise The Regrettes make these songs relatable and fun.

How Do You Love? is just as believable exploring the inevitable fractures that afflict relationships, particularly on “Dead Wrong,” which sports a new wave 1980s keyboards arrangement, and the hard-edged hint at reconciliation “More Than A Month.” Ultimately, the title song closes the album by deciding that none the emotions involved with love make any sense. But The Regrettes consistently keep the rollercoaster ride interesting, particularly on high-energy tracks like “Dress Up” and “Stop And Go.”