[1] On September 22, 2021, Ovlov announced the release of their third studio, along with the first single "Land of Steve-O".

There are plenty of blown-out guitars and ripping leads, the rhythm section still pounds like they are trying to escape a locked room, and Harlett ladles lots of goopy melancholy into the melodies.

"[2] Brian Coney of Pitchfork explained: "In the space of 25 minutes, Buds continues to navigate loss while sounding largely at peace with the world.

Don't misunderstand: Hartlett and his crew still know how to dial up the fuzz, as they do with great gusto on the album's punky, 98-second opening track, "Baby Shea".

But on Buds, they deploy it with more restraint, giving space to cleaner tones that jangle and chime, and to Hartlett's charming melodies.