WALK THE MOON: What If Nothing

Walk The Moon is walking a fine line.  They're savvy enough to write huge mainstream crossover anthems, first with Shut Up And Dance, and now with One Foot.  But they're scrappy enough to maintain some cred with the indie-rock crowd.  Few bands can do that for very long.  Once those Top 40 checks start rolling in, the tendency is to lean into the pop world.  Next thing you know, you're Maroon 5.

Here's hoping that kind of sellout doesn't happen to Walk The Moon.  Their third album What If Nothing is as light and listenable as their first two, with a handful of damn good tracks.  One Foot has been deservedly climbing the charts, on its way toward inevitable pop station overkill.  Tiger Teeth and In My Mind aren't as instantly memorable, but they sneak up and sink in.  And the disc's opening track Press Restart is as effortlessly cool as anything the band has done so far.

On the other hand, Walk the Moon has padded each album with a few cringe-worthy tracks.  Headphones is only the second song and an absolute dud, with lead singer Nicholas Petricca name-checking Harrison Ford and The Karate Kid in his tuneless, speak-sung verses.  Sound of Awakening is a synth-heavy sketch that should have been left on the cutting room floor.  What If Nothing is a good record, spotty at 13 songs, but would have sounded even much better at 10.  B