Loner

Need a modern pop-rock fix? Caroline Rose can help you out. For her second record, Loner, she’s teamed up with producer Paul Butler (Devendra Banhart, Hurray for the Riff Raff) on a batch of songs that depart from her humor-laden, Americana-influenced debut, and land instead in well-produced pop territory. It’s hard to not smile while listening to a tune like “Soul No. 5,” when Rose somersaults through syllables in the verses before breaking into big, open, exuberant choruses that simply bounce on the words “I got soul.” Rose’s well-crafted tunes are in line with the buoyant pop of the Australian singer/songwriter Alex Lahey, with a little more of a synth drive. The album closes with “Animal,” a powerhouse tune in which Rose moves tentatively through rhythmic verses before free-falling into a soaring chorus. Bouncing across the full spectrum of pop—from surf-rock candy (“Bikini”) to big, bright orchestral fun (“Getting to Me”)—this is one catchy and very good album.