Sophomore albums can be treacherous and sometimes even strain the descriptive power of words. Officially characterized in their press bio as playing "hectic, formless, tongue-in-cheek indie rock," this "cherubic cohort" write songs about "cohesive, committed interpersonal musical relationships and a space to chase the outcroppings of those partnerships," which are "characterized not just by introspection, but urgency." Whew! Overheated semantics aside, this quintet from Wisconsin whose central pair of bassist/vocalist Raina Bock and guitarist/vocalist Isaac deBroux-Slone have been friends since grade school, is trying to recover from the discouraging fact that their debut Collector was released in March 2020 just as the COVID pandemic closed in. Sad as that was, Disq used the time off wisely, honing their noise-pop to a fine edge on Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet. "Prize Contest Life," an alternately delicate or crashing confection by guitarist/vocalist Logan Severson is the perfect amalgam of their musical calling: plaintive, angelic pop vocal harmonies broken by cataclysmic freakouts of pounded cymbals and screamed vocals. Lyrically, their introspection focuses on universalities—"I can see the glow, shining all the time/ In every life, buried deep inside"—as much as personal foibles: "Spirit stripped of self, naked and alive/ Even with the truth, can't look you in the eyes/ I can't be left alone, not even for a night." Produced and engineered by Matt Schuessler, who has worked on albums by Steve Gunn and Cat Power, the mix can be a challenge as the band's noisy side demands a loud wash of sound. deBroux-Slone's nearly conventional indie pop expression, "If Only," is a troubling peek under the hood of a tangled relationship with a brief central guitar scrabble. More familiar "(With Respect To) Loyal Serfs" has a Weezer-like guitar roar. Bock chants through the synth-y tromp of the superfun closer, "Hitting a Nail with a BB Gun" and its chorus of "I don't wanna die/ I wanna be A.I." Though lacking the obvious first listen surprise of their debut, Desperately Imagining Someplace Quiet is sure momentum in Disq's bright, eager, young indie rock. © Robert Baird /Qobuz