Singer/songwriter Charlie Brand loves to get down and kitschy, but he’s keenly aware that jokes are only one aspect of entertainment, and he clearly wants listeners to feel the joy and emotion that he and his band bring to these retro-modern pop songs. Brand writes like every song should be a single, and this passion means that each track jumps out of the gate with a palpable immediacy. His first-world problems are a perfect match for producer Chris Zane, whose work with Nelly Furtado and Passion Pit proves he’s the right man to balance the sound between guitar-based power pop and cheesy ‘80s synth-disco pop. “Swimming Pool Blues,” “Used to Be the S**t,” and “Oblivious” commandeer Cruel Runnings as an essential fourth album, and that’s before “Dream Girl” tries out its 1983-style R&B grooves on the crowd and “Sadistic Kisses” ekes out a glorious bounce of harmonies and hooks. Brand’s love for pop music matched with his lyrical wit and his genuine heart make Cruel Runnings a complex work regarding the beautiful plastics and synthetics manufactured around us.