I’d bought Little You, Little Me‘s full-length debut ‘What Have You Been Doin’ With Yer Time?’ not simply out of want, but out of necessity. Hooked by a wistful blend of infectious riffs and youthful romanticism, I found myself nursing an earworm and exhausting my supply of complimentary Bandcamp listens after three days. Fast forward a year, and their sophomore full-length ‘I’d Watch The Day Till It Died’ marks the arrival of a more mature, well-crafted, and conceptualized album that is sure to peg them as one of the Maritimes most exciting bands of 2016.

The aptly titled ‘Fuckushima’ sets the pace of the album with a blast of energy; transmuted throughout in a dynamic range of forms. All of the elements that made LYLM so compelling on their debut are herein refined: the fuzz and crunch, the expertly placed oohs and aahs, and the interplay between heavy riffs and melodic tones are all the more effective in their placement and execution.

Fans of ‘What Have You Been Doin’ With Yer Time?’ won’t find a radically different sound this time around; tracks such as ‘Greed’ and ‘Wrong’ sound like natural progressions from the driving guitars of ‘Motive’ and the songwriting of ‘You Won’t Suffer A Decline’. Where the album truly finds its stride is in its more sonically interesting forays, particularly the bass-driven ‘Eyes to the World’, where shrill, expressive guitarwork soars, burns, and crashes back into the song’s frame.

Perhaps the album’s greatest strength is its ability to offer this dynamic range of sounds and structures without ever feeling lopsided. The album anchors itself around the likes of Fugazi and Eric’s Trip while delivering moments suggestive of Black Sabbath as on ‘If You Say It Ain’t So’, or turns on a dime towards the pop sensibilities of Dinosaur Jr. and Billy Talent in ‘It’s Awkward’. Through all of its heavy riffs and start-stop dexterity, LYLM deftly finds the means to carry us to its sweet spots, such as the yearning, youthful pop-chorus on ‘Caught Between Us’, arguably one of the crowing jewels on an album filled with moments.

Recorded by guitarist Corey Bonnevie on “a mixture of broken or kind of fixed gear,” this album nonetheless delivers a more lively and polished finished product than their previous outing while retaining a lo-fi, do-it-yourself aesthetic.  Enjoy them while they’re still a band that can fit in your back pocket, because this album is sure to make some noise.

‘I’d Watch The Day Till It Died’ is being released Friday, Dec. 4th 2015.  For more information visit Little You, Little Me’s Facebook page.