It's been seven years. The Bigger Lovers have survived van accidents, imbroglios with record labels, the fickle indie music scene both in and out of Philly, and so much more. Along the way, they made three albums that gave new hope to perfect-pop fans all over, and performed some memorably raucous shows that this city should not soon forget. But now the time has come for The Bigger Lovers to do what all great bands must eventually do: break up.

The quartet -- singer-guitarist Bret Tobias, singer-bassist Scott Jefferson, guitarist Ed Hogarty and drummer Patrick Berkery -- saw no need to overstay their welcome. "We didn't want to become a weekend-warrior, hobbyist sort of thing," Tobias says over a beer at Tritone. "We'd been trying to do it as much as possible over the years, trying to really make it work. I think if we had kept going, only bad things could've happened," he says with a caustic laugh.

"It's easier to be in a band when you're in your 20s and naive and still have that sense that, hey, anything could happen," continues Tobias, 32. "And that's what really plateaued, our expectations of how far this could go."

The band had begun recording an album earlier this year. However, their label, Chapel Hill indie Yep Roc, wanted to hear it before deciding whether to put it out, a development which "sort of took the wind out of our sails."

Touring outside Philly, as the Lovers did many, many times (even venturing to Holland last year), was near-essential but never easy. "There are precious few pockets across the country that will pay attention. And we found ours very early on, and they remained pretty consistent." The band's spots included "Chicago and Cleveland -- and Chicago and Cleveland," Tobias says. "Any other night of the week was a crapshoot."

Despite the band's demise, all four members remain listenable. Tobias is currently drumming for BC Camplight; Jefferson will be reviving his pre-Lovers incarnation, The Diane Linklater Experience; Hogarty is rejoining Lefty's Deceiver; and Berkery will continue to drum for The Pernice Brothers, as he has since 2003. The Lovers finished six tracks during this year's recording sessions. Tobias says they will see the light of day, in one form or another.

The Bigger Lovers: A Guide
	How I Learned to Stop Worrying (2001) The band's debut was held up for a year when its original label folded. The production's a bit dated, but songs like "Summer (of Our First Hello)" and "Forever Is Not So Long" remain unassailable. Bret Tobias' track pick: "I'm Here"
	Honey in the Hive (2002) Pernice Brother Thom Monahan produced The Bigger Lovers' most polished work, full of crisp rhythms, sterling harmonies and perfectly calibrated jangle. From "Half Richard's" to "Minivan Blues" it sails smoothly with just enough sting. BT's track pick: "You're in Love, Again"
	This Affair Never Happened… and Here Are Eleven Songs About It (2004) Their most experimental album is filled with production quirks, jarring instrumental textures, and, perhaps appropriately, the occasional uneasy segue. Its highlights, like "Slice of Life" and "Hollywood," are among the band's finest moments. BT's track pick: "Ninja Suit"

The Bigger Lovers Farewell Show, Sat., Nov. 5, 8 p.m., $10, with New Radiant Storm King and DJ Joey Sweeney, Indre Studios, 1418 S. Darien St. www.thebiggerlovers.com