Worldpeace DMT, a London duo, have released a follow-up to their 2025 debut. The Guardian’s review says the new record is about childhood and stays playful, but the songwriting is noticeably stronger than before.
Key takeaways
- The Guardian has reviewed Stick Around for Tea, the second album by the London duo Worldpeace DMT.
- The duo’s 2025 debut, The Velvet Underground & Rowan, was described by the Guardian as one of that year’s surprise highlights.
- The Guardian calls the duo’s style “laptop twee”, meaning whimsical indie pop that leans on dense, knowing sound design.
- According to the review, the new album takes childhood as its theme and pairs comic whimsy with strong musicianship.
- The review argues the duo have changed direction since their debut while keeping their humour and making their songs stronger.
What is happening with Worldpeace DMT’s new album?
Worldpeace DMT are a two-piece band from London. Their second album is called Stick Around for Tea, and the Guardian has published a review of it. The review’s headline makes two claims. The band are still “goofy”, and the songs have got better. The paper describes the record as exploring childhood with whimsical humour and what it calls terrific musicality.
The Guardian also says the album brings back the “hyperliterate” sound design of the debut. Hyperliterate here means dense with knowing references to earlier music. The review says the duo have changed tack this time. The excerpt available for this article stops before it explains what that change of direction involves, so the details are not known here. The source material also does not give the track listing, running time, label or exact release date.
Why is this album in the news now?
The obvious reason is the review itself. Major newspapers usually review albums around release week, and a review from a large outlet often brings a smaller act to new readers. The other reason is the debut. The Guardian calls The Velvet Underground & Rowan, released in 2025, one of that year’s surprise highlights. When a debut gets that kind of response, people pay close attention to the second album. Critics and listeners want to know whether the first record’s appeal will last.
The “difficult second album” is a familiar idea in music writing. It describes the pressure a band faces after a well-received start. Some acts repeat what worked, and others change direction. The Guardian’s framing suggests Worldpeace DMT have done some of both. They have kept the playful character and changed their approach to the songs.
What background does a newcomer need?
The debut’s title tells you a lot about the band. The Velvet Underground & Nico is a famous 1960s album, and the duo replaced “Nico” with a band member’s first name. The Guardian reads this as typical of how they treat their influences: with irreverence rather than reverence. The review says the debut mixed nods to classic acts such as Fleetwood Mac and the Beach Boys with sounds that recall the indie pop the music weekly NME championed around 2011.
The paper names Grouplove and Darwin Deez as reference points. Both were part of a wave of bright, quirky indie pop in the early 2010s. The Guardian says that making this sound feel “cool and urbane” in 2025 was something of a coup. That remark reflects a common critical view. Music from the recent past often goes through a stage of seeming dated before people come back to it fondly.
“Twee” has a long history in indie music. The word, which is British slang for something overly sweet or cute, came to describe gentle, melodic guitar pop with a childlike quality. Critics have sometimes used it as praise and sometimes as a put-down. Putting “laptop” in front of it points to a more modern way of working, where much of the arranging and production happens in software rather than in a traditional studio. The Guardian uses the phrase as a short label. It is not an established genre with fixed rules.
The Guardian also notes that the two members of Worldpeace DMT play in another group, the Femcels. The excerpt does not say anything more about that project.
Who is affected, and how?
Existing fans will get an album that, according to the review, keeps the duo’s sense of humour. Since the Guardian says the band have changed tack, some of those listeners may also find elements they did not expect. A favourable review in a national newspaper may bring in new listeners, particularly people who missed the debut.
For the band, critical reception matters in practical ways. Independent and emerging acts often rely on press coverage to get noticed on streaming platforms, on radio playlists and when booking shows. The source material does not say whether the duo have tour dates or what their commercial situation is, so nothing can be said about those here.
More generally, the review is part of an ongoing critical conversation about the indie pop of the late 2000s and early 2010s. When a newer act gets praise for reworking that sound, it can encourage other artists and listeners to give the period another listen.
Where do critics and listeners tend to disagree?
The main question is the one the Guardian’s headline hints at: can a band be deliberately silly and still make serious, lasting music? Some listeners think humour and whimsy make music more appealing and easier to approach. Others find a heavy use of in-jokes and references tiresome, or think it gets in the way of emotional depth. In the Guardian’s view, Worldpeace DMT have kept the goofiness and also written stronger songs. Not everyone will agree with that.
Opinion is also divided on reference-heavy music in general. Some critics value artists who recombine earlier styles knowingly, and treat it as a creative act in its own right. Others ask whether wearing influences so openly leaves room for a distinct identity. The Guardian calls the debut’s approach to its references irreverent, which suggests the paper sees the borrowing as playful rather than as imitation.
The sound of the early 2010s divides opinion too. For some people, the bands the review mentions are a pleasant memory. Others see them as a period best left in the past. Whether a revival of that sound comes across as fresh or as nostalgia depends a lot on the listener.
Finally, this is one review. A single critic’s opinion is not a consensus, and other publications may judge the album differently.
What are the practical implications for listeners?
Anyone curious about the band could start with the debut, which the Guardian rated highly, and then move on to the new record to hear the change in direction for themselves. Listening to both albums back to back also makes it easier to judge the review’s claim that the songs have improved.
If you know the reference points the Guardian mentions, such as Fleetwood Mac, the Beach Boys and the early-2010s acts it names, you will get more of the duo’s references. Because the new album is about childhood, its humour may be gentler or more nostalgic in tone, though the excerpt does not describe individual tracks.
Readers should also bear in mind that this article is based only on a short excerpt of the review. The lyrics, the instrumentation and the specific changes in approach are not covered in the available material.
What should people watch for next?
Several things are worth watching. Coverage from other outlets will show whether the Guardian’s positive view is widely shared. Live dates, if any are announced, would show how a duo built around laptop production present their music on stage. It is also unclear whether “laptop twee” will catch on as a label beyond this review or stay a one-off phrase.
There is also the other band. The Guardian mentions the Femcels, and readers may want to keep an eye on what the two members do outside Worldpeace DMT.
Frequently asked questions
Who are Worldpeace DMT?
Worldpeace DMT are a two-piece band from London. The Guardian describes them as wacky and hyperliterate, meaning their music is full of knowing references to earlier artists. Their debut album, The Velvet Underground & Rowan, came out in 2025, and the newspaper counted it among that year’s surprise highlights. According to the same review, both members also play in a group called the Femcels.
What is the new Worldpeace DMT album called?
The duo’s second album is called Stick Around for Tea. The Guardian’s review says it is about childhood, combining whimsical humour with strong musicianship. The paper also says it brings back the dense, reference-filled sound design of the debut while changing direction in some ways. The source material available for this article does not give the exact release date, label or track listing.
What does “laptop twee” mean?
“Laptop twee” is the phrase the Guardian uses for Worldpeace DMT’s style. “Twee” is a longstanding term for gentle, sweet and slightly childlike indie pop, sometimes used fondly and sometimes as criticism. “Laptop” points to music largely arranged and produced on a computer. Put together, the phrase suggests whimsical pop made with modern home-production tools. It is a critic’s label rather than a formally defined genre.
Is Stick Around for Tea better than the debut?
The Guardian’s review says the duo have kept their goofy tone and strengthened their songs, which implies the paper thinks the songwriting has improved. That is one critic’s view, though. Listeners who enjoyed the debut may have different preferences, especially as the review says the band have changed direction. The fairest way to judge is to listen to both albums and compare them.
What music does Worldpeace DMT sound like?
According to the Guardian, the duo’s debut combined nods to Fleetwood Mac and the Beach Boys with a sound recalling the indie pop that NME promoted around 2011. The review names Grouplove and Darwin Deez as reference points from that era. The new album keeps the reference-heavy production approach, but the excerpt available here does not describe exactly how its sound differs.
Why is the debut called The Velvet Underground & Rowan?
The title plays on The Velvet Underground & Nico, a famous 1960s album, by swapping in a band member’s first name. The Guardian sees the title as a summary of how the duo handle their influences: playfully and with irreverence, rather than with solemn tribute. It reflects a band that openly acknowledge the music they draw on while poking fun at the habit of doing so.
Sources and further reading
- The Guardian: music review of Stick Around for Tea, the source of the details about both albums.
- The Guardian: wider music coverage for context on the 2025 debut’s reception.
- NME archive: background on the indie pop scene of the late 2000s and early 2010s that the review refers to.
- General reference works on indie music history: for the origins and changing use of the term “twee”.
Surfaced from the rss:guardian_music signal “indie duo album review”. AI-assisted draft, editorially reviewed.
