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iTunes Review

British chillwave duo Summer Camp has a serious crush on the day-glo sounds of the ‘80s, displaying a shrewd ability to distill vintage techno-pop’s giddy synthetic bounce into something sly and irresistible. Under the production guidance of Pulp’s Steve Mackey, band members Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey tap into the teen-angst themes of ‘80s John Hughes films, channeling them into clattering grooves, fuzzy synthesizer lines, and reverb-bathed vocals. Sankey’s vocals are sweet with a hint of brass, able to capture the mix of desire and spite coursing through “Better Off Without You,” “Last American Virgin,” “Done Forever,” and similar tunes. Warmsley is a good romantic foil on the Human League–like duet “Losing My Mind” and sings lead on the teasing, Prince-ish “Brian Krakow.” As the closing track, “1988,” makes clear, Summer Camp loves to romp through the electronic dreamscapes of the Reagan/Thatcher era, delighted by its absurdities and mesmerized by its beats.