The Sounds

Call it the great inevitable. Alt-rock trends in the 21st century have, so far, stuck to a pretty tight schedule, reviving retro sounds right around the 20-year mark. So it makes perfect sense that the successor to all the recent post-punk and early-New Wave imitators would firmly plant us somewhere around 1983, to the fledgling days of MTV, when a bouncier, more accessible brand of New Wave kept roller-skating rinks across the country in business. Swedish quintet The Sounds aren't just coming in right on time, then -- they're actually early. With their 2002 debut, Living in America, they stood apart from fellow Swede sensations like The Hives and Sahara Hotnights by dousing punky guitar riffs with danceable synths, drawing countless comparisons to Blondie (as much for lead singer Maja Ivarsson's platinum-haired good looks as for the band's '80s pop radio vibe). Now with their just-released sophomore effort, Dying to Say This to You, The Sounds have really nailed their sound: catchy keyboard squiggles ("Queen of Apology"), a steady dancefloor thump ("Tony the Beat"), and decadent guitar underpinnings to counter Ivarsson's petulant woman-child vocals ("Song With a Mission"), sort of like Nena driving The Cars. Enjoy the ride, but use caution ahead -- spandex and hair metal could be next.