Premiere: Act As If, ‘Lovers Online’ (full EP)

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Act As If
Act As If

When it comes to frazzled, frustrating world of dating in Los Angeles, Peter Verdell would rather be a participant rather than a complainant. The frontman of the indie-pop quartet Act As If swiped left, swiped right and found enough source material in his experiences to inspire “Lovers Online,” the quartet’s new EP (out Friday). The first new material from Verdell and bandmates Diego De La Rosa, Derrick Wong and Tristen Whaley since 2014’s “Steady,” the five-song release takes a clear-eyed look at the state of affairs without cynicism or mopery. “The LA dating scene is rough, and there are enough songs (hell, enough Act As If songs) about the heartbreak here; I didn’t want to go there this time,” he says. “I wanted to dig into the excitement and adventure that’s inherent to the whole thing. I wanted to make something less about being home and licking your wounds and more about going out and getting into it.”

The anecdotes are told in Act As If’s easy-on-the-ears power-pop — with ticklish guitars, caffeinated rhythms and lush choruses, the sound that has helped the band land their songs on myriad television shows (“Vampire Diaries,” “Cougar Town,” “Pretty Little Liars,” “Teen Mom” and more). Boasting the sticky single “All the Girls” (which got a Saint Motel remix) and finding a happy ending in “I Will Keep You,” “Lovers Online” is a lot more catchy than “long walks on the beach.” Verdell can paste it into his profile tomorrow.

||| Stream: “Lovers Online”

||| Previously: “Steady,” “L.A. Kid”