Shout Out Louds
Ease My Mind

The fifth full-length from these Swedish synth-poppers arrives right on schedule, four years after 2013’s Optica. Maybe living in a socialist paradise allows the band the luxury to take three or four years to craft each new release, because Ease My Mind certainly sounds relaxed, contemplative, and fully realized, with a dreamy synth sound that fits somewhere between the lush romanticism of Pet Shop Boys and the sunny day melodicism of labelmates Spoon. Ostensibly a reflection on modern day dystopia, Ease My Mind does convey a sense of menace on the staccato “No Logic” but the trippy seductiveness of the title track and the rollicking New Wave pulse of standout track “Paola” will be more apt to make you forget your worries and dance around your bedroom like a giddy 15 year old.   (Merge) by Jim Testa