Track-by-Track: Melody Club - Goodbye To Romance

On The Run: The album opens with a galloping beat and a hint of the chorus in the background. There's some wonderful, rhythmic guitar work during the verses and the chorus has a very sunny, top-down sound to it. This is a fantastic opening track and only grows with repeated listens.

She's The Girl: This track begins with a sound that's reminiscent of The Cars' Hello Again (itself a great track). In fact, The Cars seem to be a big influence behind the album as a whole. The verses are extremely catchy, but when the chorus hits, the song transforms into something much more inspired by girl and boy groups of the sixties. I love the harmonies--they really make this track stand out.

Where Do I Belong: The most electronic song so far, this is quickly becoming a favorite. A subtle synth hook, reminiscent of Roxette's Wish I Could Fly, runs through the entire thing, and the chorus is one of the best of the album. It's uptempo, but almost feels like a big power ballad.

Girls Don't Always Wanna Have Fun: The first single, and surprisingly one of the weaker tracks on the album. The opening fuzzy guitar riff is a bit of a shock after the last track, but the song fits very well in the context of the album and actually sounds better than it does alone. I don't understand why this isn't the big hit it should be.

Devil In You: Following Sahara Hotnights and The Ark, this is the first Melody Club to use a saxophone. It's a relatively subtle use, and this song as a whole is very classic MC. It could have fit wonderfully on their last album. Super-hyper chorus with equally catchy hooks. It's like Scream, the sequel.

Eighteen: This is the song that's wowing me the most at the moment. It's an absolute anthem, clearly indebted to bands like Cheap Trick, and even Queen. The handclaps are rousing and addictive, and the chorus is an utter stomper. This is huge stuff... rock opera-type music. And just as the song sounds like it's going to end, it explodes with even more fervor. Simple subject matter, as with most of the band's tracks, but delivered flawlessly.

The Only Ones: This is set to be the second single, and I hope it does well. It's comparable to the first track, with it's convertible-ready beat and harmonies. This is world-class pop... simple and classic. I think I like it better than the launch single, but we'll see how time treats it.

Do You Wanna Dance: The 60's infiltrate again with the verse melodies. There's something almost psychedelic about it. This was a grower for me, as I wasn't totally taken on the first listen but I love it now.

High Society Girl: More handclaps right off the bat, building up to a catchy uptempo track that could do well as a single. I think this is the band's most summery album yet, as this is another track that would sound great while driving to the beach.

Oh Candy Call Me: Begins with an organ, which takes me back to Kristofer's days with The Tambureens. In fact, this whole song is a bit of a throwback and doesn't really sound like anything Melody Club have done before. I can't say it's my favorite, but it's still really good.

Not one ballad on this song, which is generally in line with what the band usually get up to. I loved this album immediately, and that love has only increased with repeated listens, so that bodes very well. I wonder if some will be disappointed with the overall rockier sound, though the album's still 100% pop. It's the perfect summer album... great for the beach or park or wherever. I will be playing it into the ground. A

Best tracks: Impossible to choose, but Eighteen is really standing out right now.