Dr. Dog

Like a new brand of bubblegum that somehow makes you smarter, Dr. Dog's sticky songwriting is compact and sweet but swollen with pithy turnarounds, tiny guitar solos and surprise crescendos. The Philly five-piece's harmonized daydream pop shines sunnier than summertime and is played with what could be considered lethally low levels of irony. This EP, their first work with pro-level production, is a prelude to their early-'07 full-length release.