River Gods are an LA-based trio fronted by Shiraz Dhume, and their new record Let Me Live simplifies and strips down their melancholy power pop, focusing on a single feeling or moment, and hammering you with the hook until it’s stuck in your head forever. An obvious point of comparison is the similarly arena-ready-but-melancholy power pop of Cende, and Let Me Live was mixed and mastered by Cende’s Cameron Wisch. Luckily River Gods don’t rely on just that comparison and have the serious chops to back up their hook-writing skills. Lead single and video “Stressed Out” was picked up by outlets like Nerdist, Impose, and many more both for it’s throwback visuals and for the slick but powerful minute and a half song. The rest of the record follows suit, undeniable hooks meet harmonies and guitar solos and tales of the minutiae of everyday romance.