Records like the one Beach Slang recently released, The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us (Polyvinyl Records), are few and far between in contemporary rock. Like on their preceding EPs, here Beach Slang generates a feeling comparable to the first pulsing strums of Japandroids’ debut full-length or that very first “fuck you” from Patrick Stickles on Titus Andronicus’ The Airing of Grievances. Like such contemporaries, Beach Slang is unabashedly anthemic and genuine, and on this, their first LP, they promote nothing more than just being alive—and that’s exactly what makes it so spectacular.

When you hear Beach Slang, you hear the authenticity of frontman James Alex, who sings and writes like his heartstrings are being pulled incessantly. One would think this would yield cringe-worthy results, but because Alex wears his heart so heavily on his sleeve, it is easy to empathize and wish you were as honest with yourself as he is. Perhaps what’s most impressive is feeling this way after just 10 songs, the majority of which hardly differentiate from each other stylistically and feature a purpose or lyric focused on joie de vivre. (Specifically, see “Young and Alive,” “Ride the Wild Haze,” and “Noisy Heaven.”) It’s refreshing to find a songwriter not letting a fear of redundancy get in the way of what he wants to say.

It’s likely on acoustic centerpiece “Too Late to Die Young” that we find the best example of Beach Slang’s characteristic earnestness. Having played a major role in ’90s pop-punk band Weston, Alex’s closer to middle-aged than college-aged, but he still sounds youthfully optimistic as he delivers never-give-up, stand-up-for-the punks platitudes over soft strumming and a subtle string arrangement. “The punks are wired and these records feel tough,” he sings. “It’s loud and wild, but I swear it feels soft.” Again, for everything we’ve heard before on this album, Alex finds a unique lyrical niche that is remarkably relatable for anyone that’s ever looked for a good reason to be keep on keeping on, which I imagine is most people