Limes leave a sour taste in your mouth, but Lime Cordiale leaves every lucky listener of their intricate, airy-sounding music feeling understood, youthful, and anything but sour.

There are countless staples in their 2017 album, ‘14 Steps To a Better You,’ that encompass their motto: “we take our music seriously, but we don’t take life too seriously.”

Oli Leimbach leads the surf-pop group beside his brother, Louis Leimbach, in which they create music inspired by their distinctive, eccentric opinions on the world, what it is, and what we as people can do about it to be better.

A lull beat plays over a striking pitch, the saccharine sound of bongos reverberating in the background. ‘Addicted To the Sunshine’ was the very first song I had ever heard from the underrated group. Oli and Louis’ voices blend naturally to produce a soothing, calming tune that brings you back to childhood. While the point of the song revolves around how people often don’t take many measures to protect the “sunshine” that we’re so “addicted” to, it holds a more personal message to me about preserving what’s left of our youth.

‘Following Fools’ draws you in with its slow to fast-moving pitch, accompanied by the Leimbach brothers’ oldie sound. The chorus melts into an upbeat, sunny melody as they repeat the lines, “we just wanna love you, we just wanna love you.” Lyrics like these symbolize the toxic masculinity ingrained within society due to men often attempting to appear as strong and powerful, rather than admitting and owning up to their weaknesses. Young men are more-so in need of guidance, love, and role models, as they are also commonly held to unrealistic standards when it comes to emotional well-being and vulnerability.

Beginning with a short intro from Leimbach, ‘That’s Life’ then follows a high-pitched, pixelated-sounding beat accompanied by a peaceful, continuous strum of guitar. Leimbachs’ voices sound far away and longing, yet the lyrics are centered around living in the present moment. They sing, “Yeah, in one moment, could all be gone. It’s more about the things that you haven’t done.” This masterpiece has a funky, beachy-feeling ambience that sets a nostalgic mood – despite its deeper meaning about the guilt people feel for constantly worrying over the future – in which the listener can truly just enjoy the present as these tunes fill their ears.

Lime Cordiale manages to capture both a sweet, savory sound that evokes a juvenile, high-spirited feeling, taking you back to the most freeing memories embedded in your brain. The Leimbach brothers have remarkable voices that are individual to them and the type of incredible music they together create. Utilizing a diverse range of euphonious instruments, track sounds, and their own blissful voices, Lime Cordiale is a bittersweet sound for all music-enjoyers to consume.