Who? Adrienne Robillard (guitar/vocals) and Dan Lowrie (guitar) considered taking a hiatus from music after the rock band they were playing in, Secadora, broke up. But then they moved across the street from Chris Wetherell (drums), and before long, they formed Citizens Here and Abroad along with Chris Groves (bass/vocals). Their latest, Waving, Not Drowning, is the follow-up to their 2004 full-length debut, Ghosts of Tables and Chairs.

What's the Deal? On Waving, Not Drowning, Citizens Here and Abroad blend the swirling guitars and airy vocals of dream pop with the intricate jamming of bands like Built to Spill. The catchy "In the Dark" opens with a plinky xylophone and ends with a minute or so of intertwining plucked bass and soaring, echo-y guitar. Their angst-laden lyrics about indecision, jealousy, and alienation ("I need a drink to chase the last hour away," Lowrie sings on "Sometimes My Head Bleeds") are softened by pretty boy-girl harmonies.

Fun Fact: The band's name comes from a 1953 Girl Scout manual they discovered on a bookshelf at a boozy Oakland house party. CHRISTINE RICHMOND

Now Hear This:
Citizens Here and Abroad - "In the Dark" DOWNLOAD MP3

Talk: Is this band going to be big here and abroad? COMMENT

On the Web:
citizenshereandabroad.com