On April 10, U.K. indie rock group Lime Garden released their sophomore album “Maybe Not Tonight.” Hailing from Guildford, these up-and-coming rockers are back following their 2024 album “One More Thing.”
Lead singer Chloe Howard said in an interview with NME that this record focuses on the “realistic side of self-destructive fun behavior.” With the backdrop of dance-punk beats and songs, on paper this album should help them break out.
Diving into the album, track one, titled “23,” starts with an unfortunately relatable line for anyone who’s ever been 17. “At 17 I had the world in my hands, and at 23 I just lost it,” Howard sings. The line paints such a vivid picturedespite being so simple. A focus on body positivity and struggling with body image is present in the lyrics of this song, like “So just try me on for size, I know I’m getting slightly wide.” “23” is a song with impactful lyrics and a killer hook.
“23” starts a solid run of tracks; the first half of this album is superior. “Cross My Heart” begins with an almost Cure-like bass, but much cheaper. That is not a diss to this song; it fits it like a glove. This song has a great groove, makes the album two for two on choruses so far, and Howard’s vocals offer so much pure swagger.
“Downtown Lover” is track three, released as a single. It makes the album three-for-three on choruses and offers some sticky harmonies. It’s a short and sweet song, totaling to around two and half minutes.
Next up is “All Bad Parts,” another song released as a single. The track is punchy with a great bassline and the best chorus on the album. This is the best song on the album.
Following that, we get the title track. It begins with some synths that sound like a club track, not an indie rock song. The bass adds so much to this track, carrying it. Then the chorus is anthemic; Howard delivers it in such a careless,fun way.
Next up is “Body.” This track continues the themes of insecurity around how you look in the mirror, a great message but sonically this song is just alright, nothing special.
“Lifestyle” is an interesting track. The distortion gets a bit grating, and the clunkiness of the chorus leaves me not wanting to come back to it.
The final three tracks on the album continue the trend of the last two. Just some boring indie rock tracks that are not very memorable. All three just go in one ear and out the other. One positive aspect, though, is that this album runs 29 minutes long, so the longest track isn’t even four minutes long.
Overall “Maybe Not Tonight” is a decent follow-up for Lime Garden; a very strong first half brought down by a much weaker second half. All the tracks are pretty short and easily digestible, so that’s a plus. Nothing on the album overstays its welcome. If you are into some danceable upbeat indie rock, I highly recommend checking this album out.
Rating: 3/5