There is nothing wrong with being pretty. Sometimes we purposely avoid beauty for the grunge and the mire in our art and our lives. We equate it with being soft. But in a world marred by ugly realities, it’s good to have a band like Dylan Sires and Neighbors around to bring beauty into our lives.

The Cedar Falls/Waterloo based power pop trio is the musical equivalent of a spring day. The three-part harmony is a gentle breeze and the music is the sun shining on your skin as you lie in a meadow. It is joyful without being in your face; it is subtle without being forgettable. Like the music of Fleet Foxes, The Beach Boys and other pop gos, it politely requests your attention in a way that’s so good, you’d be a fool to ignore it.