Brian Connell's mud-stained twee-pop is full of simple, catchy melodies (Belle and Sebastian bubbles up throughout), but Jeffrey Lewis-style witticism elevates The Workers are Weary, Let Them Go Home above the typical indie-pop outing.

The local songwriter, a former member of garage-minded folkies Little Francis (LF's Jordan Noel and Steven Grubbs back him on record and in concert), is adept at penning the sort of tunes that alternate between wandering aimlessly around the point and hammering it mercilessly home. "Sometimes a circle/ Must become a line," he sings on album standout "Everything That Breaks," before continuing: "Let's pretend that everything that breaks/ Just falls apart when we wake/ And when we sleep/ It will all work again."

There are slow spots on Workers, but they pale in comparison to the standouts. Connell's story-song style is rendered incisive by his plaintive, edge-of-sleep (edge-of-death?) delivery, a tactic that makes for a more intriguing listen than expected.

Stream the album on Bandcamp.