The Genius of Komeda

A product of the same Swedish pop scene which spawned the equally effervescent Cardigans and Cloudberry Jam, The Genius of Komeda is another outstanding export, a bright and charmingly kitschy ode to space-age popcraft. Comparisons to Stereolab are certainly warranted, particularly on tracks like "Disko" and "Frolic" (with their "ba-ba-ba" backing vocals and futuristic effects), but Komeda's melodic smarts and cinematic aesthetic are all their own; tracks like the opening "More Is More" and "Rocket Plane (Music on the Moon)" are immediately ingratiating, and further buoying the album is the band's sharp, tongue-in-cheek wit -- theirs is a joke well worth being in on.