Rating: NNN
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On their full-length Astralwerks debut, Swedish girly group the Concretes sustained their Supremes fetish for a full 11 twinkly tracks. While lead Concrete Victoria Bergsman’s coo was sweet enough to engage you in literal tributes to Diana Ross and love songs for her kitty, it was hard to fathom how the Scando-pop ensemble could keep it up for another whole LP. Luckily, they asked for outside help, bringing in Saddle Creek MVP Mike Mogis (Rilo Kiley, Bright Eyes) to help expand their horizons. The result still falls within the confines of lilting indie pop but this time goes beyond cutesy pastiche. Mogis manages to inject careful hints of pure Omahan twang – the homey pedal steel on Song For The Songs counterbalances the twee string section nicely – and filters the band’s penchant for sunny melodies into more of a clean Cali-pop aesthetic. The songs themselves are simple and straightforward (“When it comes to falling in love,” sings Bergsman, “it runs me over”), but the standout is Your Call, with Magic Number Romeo Stodart, which fits gently witty wordplay into a retro boy-girl duet.
