Usually, overly long band names convey an irritating sense of self-importance. Why else would you make someone spend a full minute saying your moniker or force fans to use some ridiculous acronym? But somehow, by about 15 seconds into "Glue Girls" — the lead track from Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin's latest CD, Pershing — all is forgiven. Perhaps it's the grin-inducing way the subtle, strummy acoustic intro segues into punchy electric guitar, just fuzzy enough to rough up the otherwise rounded corners. Lyrically, the Missouri indie-poppers are earnest but not cloying, playful but not precious. Sing-along choruses, handclaps, and whoa! whoa! scat-sung sprinkles provide the basic topography. Still, there's an element of exploration running just under the surface, welding hunks of bravado onto the sunny and genteel framework of the group's best songs.
