There’s a longing quality to the power pop of Fort Wayne’s Loveseat! The caffeinated rhythms, the fuzzed-up guitar chops, and the punk spirit brings to mind bands like Alvvays, Shy Boys, and late-2000s darlings like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. It’s a mix of power pop and post-punk that bands like XTC and Yo La Tengo perfected. Loveseat! put their own spin on it, and with the infectious vocals of lead vocalist Mary Mitchener, it’s easy to lock right in.

Along with Mitchener, Loveseat! consists of Sam Clay, Vic Brown, and Ethan Hoff. The four-piece debut EP, Let’s Go, is an ecstatic and melody-driven power pop punch that sounds like a band that’s knows who they are. These songs sum up an entire year since the band formed, and they show a group that has gelled. It seems like the sky’s the limit for Loveseat!

“Eye to Eye” opens Let’s Go, and it’s a power pop stunner. Mitchener has the kind of voice you just fall into and grabs your attention immediately. This is a band that locks in with catchy melodies and a classic pop sensibility with punk rock abandon. 

Just check out “Wherever I Want” for all your pop-punk needs: driving rhythm, jangly guitar, and vocals with just right amount of attitude. “Oh Well” has a Strokes vibe to it, with that lo-fi, DIY grime with amazingly catchy melodies that shine through the grit.

One of my favorite tracks is the closer and lead single, “Too Old To Play.” There’s attitude while at the same time a kind of melancholy, especially in that minor key shift in the chorus. Once again, Loveseat! seems to capture the magic of the early 2000s rock boom in NYC with bands like The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. But where much of that scene seemed empty and jilted, Loveseat! comes across as earnest and heart-on-sleeve.

Let’s Go is a fantastic start to what will surely be a long career. And with this six-song EP being just the beginning, I’m excited to see where these four go from here.