The New Green’s latest balances playful and poignant pop. The pianos, strings, and brass breeze over and bolster these acoustic strummed charmers and pensive shuffling lullabies to give it plenty of goose- bumped rises, while a distinctive, sometimes fiery gui-tar subtly sizzles across the compositions as boisterous drums spurt speedy marches, cathartic punchy fills or just steady jazzy steppers.  On Elaborate Maps, their second proper LP, the group hones their songwriting sensibilities, becoming even more effective at sticking these sweet mellow melodies inextricably into your brain. While dabbling in the exuberance of pop/rock, their songs have a worldlier, beyond-the-rock-club, type of reflective lyricism. Elaborate shows a nice balance between incorrigibly Brit-Pop hallowed stately songmanship, blended with a neo-country twanged wink and the delicate yet dynamic aesthetic of or- chestral indulgent baroque-pop, ingredients that had already been stewed on 2008’s Easily Made, Easily Broken. Also like before, the group doesn’t shy away from personal, memoir-ish lyrics, whether it’s revela- tions on fi nding happiness in the moment (the hook heavy, falsetto flitted “Bigger Than Me”), reflections upon the different lenses through which we view the world as child, teen and adult (the organ rounding, fuzz-pedal, synth-gleamed “Grow Up”), dreams and memories (the upbeat whirling riffs “Clocktower Bells”), delusions and deception (the honky-tonk meets brass-blared indie-pop bouncer “Closet Smoker”) or finding and expanding that moment of elusive contentment to full appreciation (“Elaborate Maps”).

The New Green celebrates the release of Elaborate Maps on Friday, September 24 at Savoy (23 N. Wash- ington St.) in Ypsilanti. The album is available as a free download at www.thenewgreenmusic.com. Donations for Operation Smile (funding surgeries on children with cleft lips/palates) are encouraged.