Has it really been only two years since we last heard from the M's? Maybe it's a testament to how quickly buzz fades, especially when bands don't tour and promote nonstop between albums, but it seems like a lot longer than that. Just look at fellow Beatles/Bolan-devotees Dr. Dog (who split an EP with the M's a while back): They're headlining a world tour until the end of November; the M's, meanwhile, are a supporting act for a dozen or so shows this month. So what has the Chicago quartet been doing?

The good news is the M's catchy, jangly, harmony-laden rockers still deliver. Energetic opener "Big Sound" bursts with fuzzy bass, dirty horns, guitar loops and a bunch of electronic flutters. It's foot-stompin' fun, for sure, but the better news about Real Close Ones is how much the band swerves effortlessly from its balls-to-the-wall template without ever sounding like it's trying to experiment. The warm two-chord groove on "Pigs Fly" makes it a perfect pick for a summer road trip soundtrack. "Days in the Sun" sounds like a George Harrison/Ray Davies collaboration, with its sweetly sung line, "Mayhem and beauty swirl together round and round," being as good a description as any for why this album works: It's all over the map, but every stop is a treat.

-- Tim Lowery