There’s a great clip of a Pomegranates performance in San Francisco in which singer Isaac Karns cordially and somewhat seriously introduces a new song: “It’s about Ezekiel getting pulled up into heaven by his hair.” After just the right beat, a dude in the crowd yells, “Take your clothes off!” That kind of good-natured aggressiveness is a defining undercurrent in both Pomegranates’ studied indie-pop sensibility and their equally studied positivity vibe. New album Heaven is a strong musical showing for the Christian-y band, one just lofty enough to better suit their new home, Austin, Texas’ Modern Outsider label, following years at Christian-y, Florida-tied Lujo Records. Tracks like the aforementioned “Ezekiel,” which digs into a groove and springboards inventively right back off, and “Pass Away,” a funkier yet still serious-minded exercise, show how dedicated these guys are to a craft they already excelled at in high school. – Justin Strout