"Lately" starts with an upbeat, playful, poeticism landing somewhere on a stylistic continuum that began with The Beatles and then scooped up plenty of the distinct singer/songwriters of the 90s and early 2000s along the way (like Elliot Smith, Belle & Sebastian, and the Shins). I'm not exactly sure how to describe this particular genre, other than that it possesses a sort of swinging, 4/4 midtempo beat and complex melody line that is absolutely perfect for delivering the introspective poetry of the hipster generation. "Lately", however, takes a bit of an unexpected turn when the distorted guitar kicks on, giving it something of a punk edge for the rest of the upbeat song. Russell Lione's lyrics are delivered with a brilliant sneer, singing about conformity and unoriginality with a warm fervor that will definitely get your head nodding in time to the beat.