Two years in the making, Stephen Clair and his band The Small Hours have released their eleventh studio album, Transmissions, produced by Clair with Will Bryant and mastered by Brandon Morrison. Recorded at The Building in Marlboro, New York, Clair (guitar, vocals) and his bandmates, Daria Grace (backing vocals, bass) and Aaron Latos (drums), went old school on the album, which explains why the album took so long. Transmissions features nine new tracks. Entry points include “Waiting Around,” a song reminiscent of early Tom Petty, with its gleaming guitars and shifting harmonic structure. The darker, edgier “Vegas Sunrise” summons a Weezer-like sound, highlighted by a loose rhythmic feel topped by a humming ’80s synth accent. “Cigarette! Cigarette!” blends a rockabilly melody with a glitter...