On their third album This Will Never Happen To Us, Amsterdam’s Apneu thrives in quick-hitting jangle pop bliss that’s filled to the brim with sly witticisms. Curiously enough, Apneu’s well-earned rep as your resident tricksters might take a hit. Debut LP Boy Problems and sophomore effort Hard Feelings struck iron with their sketchy quality, teasing the listener with catchy hooks, only to cut the tunes short prematurely. In all its zany, scuzzy brilliance, the music teasingly left the listener stuck at third base wanting more.

But! It was worth the wait: This Will Never Happen To Us fully orbits bright pop orthodoxies with bold disposition. The album was recorded at Amsterdam’s infamous Vondelbunker, an underground venue stationed at the fulcrum of Amsterdam’s city life. Fueled creatively by the productional input of two of The Netherlands’ seminal indie heroes, Roald van Oosten (Ceasar) and Henk Jonkers (Hallo Venray), Apneutook a more drawn-out, sophisticated approach to their songwriting. As a result, songs like “Fixer Upper”, “So What” and “People You May Know” are instantly satisfying earworms that stay hot till crunch time.

Then there’s that ambiguous title: This Will Never Happen To Us. Is it a confession or a denial? Instead of giving a straight answer, Apneurelishes in contrarian push-and-pull lingo, alluding to silly, meaningful and dark reflections with an even-handed shrug. Does it matter whether Apneu come clean on This Will Never Happen To Us? For all you know, the answer might be hiding in plain sight.