On their stellar debut album, Expert Alterations proves to be keen observers of pop music both past and present. You Can't Always Be Liked, slated to be released on October 30th, 2015 via New York based Kanine Records, is a triumph for Baltimore's premier indiepop trio. After capturing the attention of the indie faithful with their self-titled 12” EP on Slumberland Records, Expert Alterations is poised to become the new standard-bearers of whipsmart pop tunes. Expert Alterations consults the detailed map of their predecessors -- groups like The Shop Assistants, The Pastels and Television Personalities -- and uses it to chart a course to a musical utopia where sonic hooks are paramount and wry lyrics celebrated.

Alan (bass guitar), Patrick (vocals and guitar) and Paul (drums) formed the band in 2013 soon after they met at a pop show during Maryland Deathfest - simply because they were the only three people in attendance. Paul complimented Patrick’s Spacemen 3 shirt, and they immediately drank the bar dry of cider. In the following days they started fleshing out some songs Patrick had been recording in his bedroom, and immediately it was clear that there was a shared ideal: simplicity. The trio bonded over their affinity for labels like Sarah Records and Creation, operations that developed and spawned their own scenes, seeing their impact as much more than just a means of record production.

Recorded with Miles Waltuck and Dan Frome at the historic Copycat building, the band settled in during a bleak February snowstorm to tackle their debut album. Having already been written and arranged before entering the studio, they limited themselves to one or two takes per song with the aim of capturing the energy of their live show. The album was recorded in just three days but truly took shape at the mixing desk of indiepop stalwart Archie Moore (Velocity Girl, Black Tambourine) over the following months.

You Can't Always Be Liked features a sound that evokes Expert Alterations’ shared passions, while also giving tantalizing hints about what might be in store for their future as a band. The album is, in large part, about the transitional years between the late teens and early twenties, and most of the lyrics are rooted in the anxieties and experiences of those difficult times. Driving, melodic bass lines, jangly guitars and relentless drumming maintain a sense of ever-present energy throughout the record. Added instrumentation and vocals and the measured tension between pleasant, lively chords ad moody lyrics combine to form a rich and dynamic pop masterpiece. The songs work upwards towards relief, however, and words of cautious encouragement -- “You can’t always be liked” -- become a comforting mantra.