Two giants of New Zealand pop will issue new albums this year. First up, the Bats, who follow 2005's wonderful At the National Grid with The Guilty Office. The disc, which was actually issued outside the U.S. in early 2008, is the band's seventh album. It's due June 23 on Hidden Agenda Records.

Next up is The Clean. Mister Pop will be released by Merge Records on September 8. It's the band's first since 2001's Getaway.

Fans of the two bands know there is a deeper connection than homeland. Robert Scott, who fronts the Bats, also plays bass in The Clean. Scott formed the Bats in 1982 when it appeared that The Clean had split. Instead, The Clean became an on-again, off-again concern, which allowed Scott to do double duty (much as his Clean bandmates did with side projects like the Great Unwashed, David Kilgour's solo career and Hamish Kilgour's Mad Scene, among others). Fans of great jangly pop win, because it just means more music to sate our appetites.

The Bats are the gentler of the two acts, though that's a relative thing. Robert Scott comes across like a friendly neighbor performing quiet songs just across the fence. He'd probably turn it down if you thought things were getting too loud. The Clean, in contrast, works more with dynamics, though Hamish Kilgour's insistent beat and David Kilgour's seemingly constant fast guitar strum usually drive the songs in an efficient if at times unhinged direction.

Each has a new MP3 available in advance of the release, and each shows the respective bands in top form. It's good to have them back. Here's hoping they don't wait so long next time to return.

MP3: The Bats - "Castle Lights"
MP3: The Clean - "In the Dreamlife You Need a Rubber Soul"

Labels: music