Nicole Thibault spent a decade or so playing with the Australian band Minimum Chips, that country's contribution to the world of premiere space age pop a la Broadcast or Stereolab. They added some scrappiness and sweetness to the template and made quite a few recordings to be treasured or discovered, as the case may be. She dropped out to raise a family when the band ran its course. Now with her new project, Thibault and their debut album Or Not Thibault, she proves that she hasn't lost a step when it comes to crafting superb pop music. Working with a batch of younger musicians from Australian groups Parsnip, Ocean Party, and Traffik Island, plus old Chips mate Julian Patterson, she's updated her approach a bit by smoothing off the rough edges of yore and taking extra care with the arrangements. Many of the songs pair a basic formula of swirling keys, chiming guitars, and unassuming vocals with arrangements that clink and chime like simple machines come to life or alternately blossom into grand bouquets of surround sound. It makes for a listening experience that is warmly inviting and constantly surprising at the same time, which is a sure guarantee that multiple spins will be rewarded. Indeed, upon each listen, one might find a new favorite song depending on the mood they are in. For bubbly and sweet pop songs with an undertone of subtle angst, try "Centrelink" or "Wanting to Be Alone." For richly painted modern pop that's almost painfully melancholic, give the one-two punch of "Later Expectations" and "Moody Ghost" a listen. If looking for proof that the High Llamas aren't the only ones who can make music that sounds like the Beach Boys and Enoch Light jamming at a luau, there's "Treasure Trove." Each song sounds like it was made with a different mood in mind and built from the ground up with intricate care. Nicole and her group of collaborators do their absolute best to make them feel like unique pieces in a puzzle that stand alone while also locking together in perfect harmony. Or Not Thibault isn't just a comeback, it's something of a low stakes triumph that isn't only for fans of Minimum Chips, but for anyone who ever fell hard for the sound of space age pop and wishes there were still bands making music as good Stereolab or Broadcast in their prime, there's at least one.