1. Dan Snaith’s Caribou has consistently pleased the critics with the variety of ideas it brings with each album. Last time, it was ’60s sunshine pop. This time? Disco. In a good (though somber) way. “Odessa” is definitely a catchy, danceable song, but it feels like a bit more dejected than your average dance record.
2. Feel like MGMT blew it with their second album? Consider switching to Dom, who’s a little more low-rent in their overall sound but hit all of the same pleasure spots on “Living in America” as “Time To Pretend” did three years ago.
3. Delorean sounds like it was pulled out of Ibiza on “Real Love,” and with good reason – they’ve gone a long way to embrace the sound, but not the parts that made the Spanish island the subject of jokes around 2005 or so.
4. Thought Vivian Girls had a good idea but thought the music sucked? Good thing we have Dum Dum Girls as a solid alternative. Like that band, the angle is poorly-recorded twee pop from an all-girl group. The band even has Vivian Girls’ former drummer. Unlike that band, it’s led by singer Dee Dee, who shines brightly on “I Will Be.”
5. Hunx and His Punx seems to be the other side of the coin from Dum Dum Girls. A girl-group approach to gay-themed pop songs, complete with overly sweaty album cover. It’s a dynamic twist that works surprisingly well, actually.