MJ Lenderman has been one of the most exciting guitarists in indie rock for several years, but Manning Fireworks is the record that announced him as a songwriter of genuine distinction. It is loose and funny and occasionally devastating, and it features some of the best guitar playing you’ll hear on an indie rock record this decade.

The songwriting combines the cosmic slackness of late-period Pavement with a more direct emotional register — Lenderman is not above a lyric that cuts straight to the heart. On Wristwatch, he manages to be both genuinely funny and quietly heartbreaking in the space of three minutes.

The guitar work throughout is extraordinary. Not showy — always in service of the song — but constantly inventive. There are moments here that recall Neil Young at his most inspired. For an artist still in his mid-twenties, this is a remarkable achievement.