“Hi there … twee fan?” About a year ago, a band called The Hermit Crabs sent me a message on MySpace that opened with this question. The answer was (and is) yes. I was shocked—contact from a band whose music actually matched my taste? But I absolutely adore Camera Obscura, so it’s no surprise that another Glasgow pop band with pretty melodies, warm strings and dreamy female vocals would be my cup of tea.

Saw You Dancing (following last December’s Feel Good Factor EP) is the Hermit Crabs’ first full-length album, out with Matinee Recordings. Upbeat tracks like “Friend’s Folk Festival” and “Lean Free Summer” best showcase the band’s talent for crafting completely catchy tunes. Camera Obscura drummer Lee Thomson plays on four songs; but even when these bands sound a lot like each other—and Belle & Sebastian, too—it’s the stories they tell that set them apart. Just as well as she emits joy, Hermit Crabs lead singer and songwriter Melanie Whittle can evoke feelings of loneliness and longing with a simple lyric: When I saw you, I ran back to my homestead / Pulled the covers right over my head / Back to my homestead / Listened to some punk rock instead.” Then again, that’s from a song called “Closet Fan,” so maybe it’s really just about their fellow hometown bands.