Four years after going on hiatus, indie rockers Shortstraw return as if they’ve never left with their fifth—and potentially final—album, 2022’s Fine thanks, and you?. Inspired by the fact that they’ve been out of the game for a minute, they’ve teamed up again with producer Jacques du Plessis (High Seas Studios) who aided them in fleshing out ideas, voice notes and random jams collected over the years. With a renewed penchant for not taking themselves too seriously, frontman Alastair Thomas sings an eclectic selection of songs about how obsessed he is with his wife (“My Favourite Place”), living in reality versus a daydream (“Okinawa”), and the stark reality of choosing to live in Johannesburg (“Sucker for Punishment”), all underpinned by a more mature, pop-punk rooted sound.