“Tummy Ache”

Just as your feed was peppered with lists of albums that made lasting impressions on then-teenage music nerds, the New York duo Diet Cig dropped a song that pulls you right into singer Alex Luciano’s awkward formative years. “It’s hard to be a punk while wearing a skirt,” Luciano asserts, compressing a teen movie into the song’s two-and-half minute runtime. “Tummy Ache,” the first single from their forthcoming debut album Swear I’m Good At This, is the band’s latest concentrated shot of nostalgia after the brisk, lo-fi indie pop of 2015 debut EP Over Easy. Their twee stylings could easily become sickly sweet to a fault if mishandled, but Luciano’s honeyed voice makes the sentimental songwriting relatable. The rickety guitar lines and Noah Bowman’s efficient drumming help carry the song’s playful pop melody. As of yet, Diet Cig show no signs of growing pains.