Montreal's Tops specializes in sunny synth pop, but even at their airiest the songs are sonically rich — full of lush keyboards, guitars ("OK Fine Whatever") and flute trills ("Looking to Remember"). On their fourth album, the band blasts right out of the gate with joyful noise on "Direct Sunlight," a track that lives up to its name thanks to percolating keys and flute, easy-listening background "ahhhs" and Jane Penny's dreamy vocals which, in this case, sound more than a little like Saint Etienne's Sarah Cracknell's. First single "I Feel Alive" is also a sunny delight, as is "Witching Hour." But there's more to Tops, too, and things get really interesting when they take an after-dark turn. "Colder & Closer" delivers Fleetwood Mac guitars and Vanity 6 vocal reverb, and slow jams "Take Down" and "Too Much" prove even the twee-est outfit can have sex appeal. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz