La Sera – Sees the Light

'Kickball' Katy Goodman – better known as one third of the surf-punk group Vivian Girls – returns with this second solo album under the La Sera name which continues to bring the softer, sweeter elements of her main band to the forefront. It's simple, both in terms of its concept and in its execution, and puts a relatively carefree, optimistic spin on the well-worn concept of the break-up album.

Goodman's biggest strength lies in her ability to shift gears at the right moments: lead single, the instantly infectious Please Be My Third Eye – as well as the confidently delivered Drive On – both come as a refreshing change of pace from the slower, hazier tunes elsewhere on the record (Real Boy, It's Over Now), preventing the experience from ever becoming a drag. The heart-on-sleeve approach is welcome, too; in a landscape so heavily populated by generic garage-pop revivalists, it's a slight cut above the rest.