Chicago – From afar, Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein, the brains behind the Detroit dreamy pop duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. could be mistaken for more novelty act than noble musicians. There’s the peculiar band name, outlandish sport coats, and collection of catchy EPs that while cute and quaint, are hard to distinguish amongst the vast abundance of indie pop acts surfacing every year. While the comparisons to the infinite quantity of genre associated bands are inevitable, what’s unique and consistent with Jr. Jr. are their lyrical explanations of intimate insecurities paired with irresistibly charming melodies that never sound too retro or overcrowded with production.

“The Speed of Things”, the second studio album from Jr. Jr. strikes a fair balance of playfully crafted pop tunes, often blending elements of folk and soft rock ballads with soulful synth loops. Tracks like “Run” and “If You Didn’t See Me (Then You Weren’t on the Dancefloor)” are straight forward toe tappers that emphasize clear vocals and tight composition over waves of texture or compressed soundscapes. But the overall aesthetic for the album consists of more subdued boogies and chilled traits, with acoustic guitar chords and calmly strolling bass riffs often utilized the same as all the glossy keyboards. “I Can’t Help It” has a soulfully gospel ingredient to it over the mellow guitar strums, and “Beautiful Dream” features a relaxed breeze of doubled harmonies and wavy synth licks.

The tempo on “The Speed of Things” is another stable feature on the album, with each track never running at a much slower or quicker pace than the other. The album leisurely coasts through and songs often flow into one another, providing a fluid listening experience but leaving it hard to distinguish any stand alone tracks. There are only hints at risk and ambition, and the band ultimately decides to stick to their peppy pop formula while sprinkling various influenced genres over the record.

What’s pleasurable with “The Speed of Things” is the crisp production and bubbly personality each song possesses. While no tracks are necessarily more memorable than the other, that’s not to say any track is less accessible either. There’s a giddy optimism felt with the music, churned with the lyrics of relatable queasiness when dealing with questioning love. “Don’t Tell Me” is a lovely example of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. feeling perfectly comfortable constructing a tongue in cheek pop tune that is fun and catchy without coming off as too cheesy or instrumentally cluttered.

The album’s conclusion is easily its strength, choosing to abandon the upbeat cheerfulness of insecurity and instead focus on the loneliness of being romantically indecisive. “A Haunting” is by far the most solemn track off the album with convincingly honest lyrics pleading for previous breakups to end the present torment. “I don’t want this to end badly,” Epstein asks. “I don’t want you to end up like all the ones before”. The final track “War Zone” is a gradually grooving send off reminiscent of “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac, snapping its fingers to horns and glassy synth hooks while coming to terms with the frustrating attempts of displaying affection. An altogether pleasant listen, “The Speed of Things” shows off pop promise for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., with enough satisfying tendencies to ward off labels of cliché but also leaving space for an improvement of creative range.

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