Pop fixture 9 A.M. released their sophomore album last week, following up 2021’s “A Sensation You Thought Would Stick.” With this new record, 9 A.M. explores some of the darker undersides of pop with tunes like the spoken word-infused dance banger “Will This Save My Life”, gothic guitar rock cut “Master + Servant” and industrial freakout “Selfish Breeding.” Between the more fully-fledged production there are short acoustic guitar songs containing raw, uninhibited feelings of gloom. 9 A.M. is uncompromising with their ambition on “My Children Are Going to Hell”, demonstrating that they remain more than capable of hook-ready sensibility yet have come into embracing a viscerally provoking storytelling approach and diverse sonic palette. 9 A.M. has broken some serious ground still quite early in their career; they’re certainly a premier Milwaukee pop artist to be watching.