Repartee and Fog Lake might be Newfoundland’s two most nationally acclaimed newer artists, and they’ve earned their praise by bending pop two ways.

If music is a drug, Repartee is a dancy upper, and Fog Lake is a moody downer. They’re indie pop and bedroom pop — one meant for a dance at a bar, the other meant to soothe your hangover the next day. Your music collection needs balance, and go-to singles like these for your every mood.

Repartee’s “Dukes”

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Make no mistake about it, Repartee are about to blow up nationally with the release of their new album, All Lit Up. It’s been years since their last well-received release, and they’ve been very busy getting 10 times better and tighter. They’ve signed to Sleepless Records (so they’re now label mates with the likes of July Talk and Allie X). The engineering on the album sounds like a million bucks, and the songs have more hooks than the Canadian Tire fishing aisle. They’re releasing Al lLit Up April 29th at The Rockhouse here in town.

Fog Lake’s “Rattlesnake”

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There is a science and art, a distinct ache and mood to Fog Lake’s music, and his prolific output is marked by one clear trend: he keeps getting better and better at what he’s doing. Prolific is the word: He’s made The Overcast’s Borealis Music Prize shortlist every year we’ve run it, and here he is yet again, with another new album coming out in 2016 (the fall). “The songs for the new album I’m working on seem to have recurring themes of how we medicate ourselves,” Powell says, “and bad habits we all have to keep ourselves sane.”