When a chaotic world gets to be too much, sometimes a hard reboot is the only thing you can do. That’s the prescription that Taiwan’s indie pop outfit Bestards deliver on their sophomore album, Off, and On, for dealing with collective anxiety and isolation—as well as our relationship with digital devices. As band leader Kidding Chiu sings in a soaring call to action on “Reset”: “Turn off yesterday and tomorrow/Turn on today.” Riding on the success of their debut album 愚者 (“The Fool”), which earned them a nomination for Best New Artist at the Golden Melody Awards, the four-piece wrap their bedrock material—polished, moody odes about youthful idealism and regret—in an apocalyptic framework suited to the uncertainty of a pandemic era. Driving opener “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” borrows from Welsh poet Dylan Thomas to describe a post-apocalyptic void set to punchy minor chords, while closer “Before Doomsday” is a snappy, inspirational pop fanfare that celebrates the impending end as a chance for personal renewal. Nestled between these epic bookends, the band further explore the rich vein of heartbreak ballads they have mined since their breakout hit, “不是因為天氣晴朗才愛你” (“Rain or Shine”)—with intriguing variations. The laidback harmonies and rap lines on “今天星期六” (“Oh, My Saturday”) give extra sting to love-scorned lyrics, while “我反芻著你留下的寂寞” (“The Endless Rumination”) adds stabbing cellos and snare pops to musings on the lingering pain of loss. Striking a balance between self-deprecation and confidence, Off, and On presents a band finding their artistic stride in a jumbled-up world—and also poses a self-help challenge fit for our times. When stress gets out of control, relax, reboot and refocus on the here and now.