All throughout this new record by the recently reconstituted Mahayla, there is an air of regret. David Fera’s first effort under the Mahayla name since the turn of the century is full of people living their “life like Kristy McNichol / an afterschool special in overdrive” or thinking “sorry, my friend / I should have known that the party would end.”

Fera sings these lyrics along the fine line of desperation without being shrill. The music behind them has pretty melodies that compete hard against a great guitar sound that alternates between bell-like tones and solid, distorted chords. The bass and drums are propulsive and very much in sync, accenting the tightness of the arrangements.

The sound is late ’90s/early 2000s modern rock—Soul Asylum/Foo Fighters. It rocks out but has enough polish to work on the radio against major-label bands. Where this record excels differently is the vocal duets and call and response between Fera and female vocalist Yanti Turang. Fera’s lower range and Turang’s higher, more “girlish” register add depth and drama to the songs.

There is a Pixies-type element to their exchanges, but without the sinister twistedness that are inherent to the Pixies song. Fera is not just tossing songs off here. They rock as they portray people and characters trying to make sense of (or leave) situations they did not expect or are not of their choosing.

In that, the subjects and the music complement each other and make for a great record.