MUSIC REVIEW -- SHOUT OUT LOUDS

Shout Out Louds

Work

(Merge)

On their third album, these warmhearted Scandinavians scale back the production dramatics of their last album and follow their instincts, which lead them directly to a joyful and slightly fretful mix of ’60s-through-’80s-inspired pop. Work’s opening song is called “1999,” but that’s at least a decade too late for these Cure fans. Riding a skipping drum and synth beat, frontman Adam Olenius reminisces over a cherished concert and other life-changing memories from his youth. The hooky chorus at the center of “Fall Hard” proudly displays Shout Out Louds’ most laudable gift: Olenius and his bandmates wear their hearts on their sleeves, with a ton of compassion and without an ounce of self-consciousness. --Michael Gallucci