It’s that unmistakable Bad Suns sound – dreamy ’80s pastiche flanked by Stratocasters through cranked Vox amps, pulsing synths, and palpable rhythmic energy – that endeared listeners to the band in the first place, and their fourth LP, Apocalypse Whenever uses that musical foundation as the jumping-off point for their next evolution.

Conceived as “the soundtrack to a movie that doesn’t yet exist,” the 13-track album, helmed by long-time producer Eric Palmquist (MUTEMATH, Thrice) at his Palmquist Studios and the band’s North Hollywood rehearsal spot, is more conceptually rigorous than anything they’ve ever attempted – but no less compelling or accessible