Looking at Jay Reatard’s discography you quickly realize the man loves releasing singles. By my count he has 16 of them in the three years he has become a solo artist. Outside of that, he also has three separate compilations, comprised of all 16 singles and some b-sides.

Based on this output, you would have to assume he has at least a half dozen records behind him, right? Well, in fact he has just released his sophomore album, the great Watch me Fall. Released in August of this year, it took me a few listens to find myself really enjoying Reatard’s brand of garage punk.

I fell in love with his debut, 2006’s Blood Visions, from the moment I first heard its opening track. It was urgent, fast, angry, and full of poppy undertones. It blended genres together flawlessly, and I couldn’t stop listening to it for quite a while.

Watch Me Fall, was not as easy a sell. The first thing I noticed upon first listen was the fact that Reatard’s fury seems to have been traded in for a deeper sense of pop sensibilities. It is a much slower disc then I was hoping for, but the more I listened to it, the more the songs started to get into my head.

Reatard’s greatest strength is that his songwriting is infectious. You hear a song a few times, and it becomes of your daily life. Soon enough, you will find yourself singing his songs in the grocery store when buying bread. While the songs on Watch Me Fall are a lot slower, and seemingly less angry then its predecessor, the hooks are still there.

Tracks like “Before I Got Caught” or “Man of Steel” really draw you in, and stay with you.

If you love pop music with an edge, this record is for you, and will likely find itself ofnmany people’s year end lists.