Right Up Your Face

Few flaws mar the debut of this young Swedish singer, but neither are there many moments that distinguish it from other femme-pop confections. Loell deserves credit for writing her own material, which is marked by happy, head-bobbing hooks, sunshiny angst, and melodies that never stray far from the root. Her command of English isn't complete; on "I Understand" she solemnly informs a lover that "your eyes tells me" what's on his mind, and the title "Right Up Your Face" is a koan on its own. Her vocal delivery, however, reduces such moments to charming distractions. With all the affectations ironed out, there aren't many bumps left on this road; it's a smooth cruise through bubbly dance grooves like "Lover Undercover" and "Utopia" and soft-core medium-tempo anthems like "Come a Little Closer," with its pixie-like "yeah, yeah, yeah" chorus riff. Aside from "I Understand," there are no ballads on Sofia Loell; even "Miss You," a litany of reasons why loneliness seems disagreeable, is set to a buoyant 6/8. Clearly Loell has, as she affirms on one track, her feet off the ground and head in the clouds -- in other words, she has arrived in the airy realm where pop divas dwell before taking on the weight of time.