Let’s talk about how Lydia Loveless pronounces the word “ass.” On “Accolades,” the title track of their new EP, the Ohio native sings about drinking wine from a coffee cup and spanking their inner child: “Maybe all it really needs is a good hard smack across the face and a belt to the ass.” They split that three-letter word into five or six syllables, making it sound a little singsongy, like a playground taunt. On “Accolades (reprise),” which closes the EP, they deliver that same verse over an acoustic guitar strum as their band seems to collapse behind them. This version is reflective, but still caustic, even when they pull away from that last word. Loveless still subdivides “ass” across multiple notes, less a jibe than a deflation, as though they’re disappointed that they can’t actually punish themselves that way.

Over the last 15 years, Loveless has gained acclaim for their ability to turn vulgarities into poetry and twist impossibly low romantic standards into dire punchlines.…