The sense of surprise upon awakening is a bit more palpable each day. Gratitude for my prolonged existence is countered by wistful regrets. The members of Comet Gain explore the bittersweet sensibility on their new album Letters to Ordinary Outsiders. Opening with “The Ballad of the Lives We Led” and closing with “Maybe One Day It Will Really Happen,” the British band balances disappointment and hopefulness. The shambolic pub rock songs sound like a less anarchic Mekons or an inspired Soft Boys tribute band. The whiskey-soaked epistles of Letters to Ordinary Outsiders are woozy soundtracks for monitoring hourglasses.