Following two short and bittersweet, tightly constructed indie pop gems for the Bella Union label in the late 2010s, Ari Roar re-emerges in 2022 with the self-released Made to Never Use. The sometimes-collaborative solo project of Texas singer/songwriter Caleb Campbell, Roar's songs have always featured psychedelic undertones alongside bouncy rhythms, hooky melodies, and contemplative, unassuming vocals. Here, however, he expands the use of complex harmonic progressions and shifting time signatures -- all without missing a figurative beat when it comes to catchiness. The opening title track sets the stage by putting an irrepressible spring in one's step out of the gate, with jangly, galloping rhythm guitar, ringing countermelodies, and animated bass accompanying its ever-hapless protagonist ("Made a fuss/Whispered 'It's not much'…Stay alone/Every time I go"). The fretful ruminations continue on the musically breezy "Out of Bounds" as it moves seamlessly between odd and even meters. Roar's airy vocals are similarly lost in thought throughout, even on the more aggressive, churning "Feel Warm" ("I feel warm/In the way/Mean no harm/Try to fake") as well as on the likewise uptempo "Far from the Rest." The latter song features particularly floaty, Morrissey-esque vocal phrasing that effortlessly navigates its key changes. Even a midtempo track like "Joke to Tell" and its more sinuous guitar lines gets heads bobbing and humming along to lyrics that anticipate the opportunity to tell a joke at a social gathering ("Touch and go in the night/Is it almost time?"). Consistently grappling with being overwhelmed by the everyday, Made to Never Use ends the closing track "Hide Out" with a plea to take the dog out. By that time, the singer/songwriter has reaffirmed his status as an underappreciated master of short, anxious indie pop bangers.