Expressions

iTunes Review

Music Go Music’s Expressions ranks among the most glorious outpourings of pure, shameless pop since ABBA called it quits a quarter-century ago. This L.A.-based trio (moonlighting from the cabaret-folk combo Bodies of Water) salutes and then transcends its kitschy sources of inspiration. Giorgio Moroder-style disco excess is melded with the giddy thrust of early Blondie, with dashes of Lene Lovich and the Carpenters added for extra tang. Over the course of these tracks, Singer Gala Bell shifts from romantic martyrdom (“I Walk Alone”) to buoyant self-liberation (“Just Me”) to morbid resignation (“Goodbye, Everybody”) with astounding aplomb. She moves amidst dense, often dazzling arrangements that reference just about every ‘70s-era pop/rock guitar hook and production flourish imaginable. Songs as different as the bubbly, ultra-sweet “Light of Love” and the ominously erotic “Warm In the Shadows” work to reinforce the prevailing mood of emotional overload. If this music isn’t irony-free, it is infused with a genuine love for classic pop and a spirit of unbridled fun.