Burst

iTunes Review

Louisville’s the Pass cartwheeled into the limelight in 2010 with blogger accolades galore, serving up dance-driven electro pop that glitters with energy. First single “Vulture” is not too far from what Phoenix brought to the party a few years ago: crisp production, buoyant beats, party-favor fun, and vocals that would make Duran Duran proud. “Treatment of the Sun” opens up Burst, with a solid dance floor backbeat and airborne chorus giving the tune a soulful, ABBA-esque beauty. Elsewhere, it’s all bouncy bass lines and synths that bleat, pulse and gurgle in a wide variety of vintage-worn styles (‘70s oscillations, arcade-game fever, ‘80s new wave). The record is textured with strong ballads (“Walk Away” awaits fame as a high school slow dance favorite) and a handful of upbeat songs — like “Vinyl” and “Rochelle” — that borrow some of the slightly darker tones and depth of the first track. The closing slow-burner, “Fate,” is swathed in a cocoon of melancholy, a great way to wind the collection down.