Royal Blues

Once upon a time pop bands would go indie in an attempt to find credibility, but now, the opposite is becoming common. So it is for Canada’s Dragonette, whose fourth album finds them abandoning edgy synth-pop for sugary euphoria. There are confetti bombs aplenty in “Let the Night Fall” and “Secret Stash”, bratty cheerleader skits (“High Five”), and gothy clatter (“Love Can’t Touch Me Now”), though the record ends with “Detonate” and “Future Ghost”, adding shadow to the sparkle.

In the four years between Royal Blues and Bodyparts, pop music went through quite a few changes -- and so did Dragonette: though they continued their creative partnership, Dan Kurtz and Martina Sorbara ended their romantic relationship.