CD of The Week

We were introduced to Brit band Lime Garden on their 2024 debut One More Thing, but on their recently-released sophomore effort Maybe Not Tonight, the foursome have leveled up their songwriting and overall sound. Consisting of singer/guitarist Chloe Howard, guitarist Leila Deeley, bassist Tippi Morgan, and drummer Annabel Whittle, all four members experienced breakups leading into the making of Maybe Not Tonight, which for better or worse, gave them plenty of inspiration. In fact, the band has said in interviews that Maybe Not Tonightessentially is a thematic trip through what it’s like to be a single, broke young woman out on the town with her pals.

Album opener “23” rides a pop-rock groove as Howard takes her slightly-younger self to task, immediately followed by “Cross My Heart,” with its sleek, funky bass and big-time pop-rock sounds, seemingly assessing one of the breakups. The super-catchy “Downtown Lover” captures a complex, not very healthy relationship where “I like the way we are / And I like it most because we are always apart.”

”All Bad Parts” mixes David Byrne-style scratchy guitars and a funky bounce, as Howard meets someone new while grappling with low self-esteem. On the driving, dance-y title track, she’s making bad decisions and partying the night away.

Those first five songs are an all-killer way to kick off an album, but on the second half, things get a bit more sobering. The Interpol-esque “Body” and the follow-up “Lifestyle” find Howard envious of another woman’s looks and standard of living: “She's got the lifestyle that I think I want / She's got the lifestyle I've been dreaming of.”

Her darker thoughts and instincts are on display in “Always Talking About You” and the whole adventure ends on a more contemplative moment with the closer “Do You Know What I’m Thinking About,” as the last lines on the record are “Am I destined for life alone / Because I can't face being under control?”

With 10 songs in just about a half hour, Maybe Not Tonight gets its rocks off and leaves an impression. It’s a shame Lime Garden’s North American tour later this year isn’t coming any closer than Brooklyn and Washington, D.C. in November.