On their much-anticipated first EP,
Expergo
, South Korean girl group
NMIXX
expand their catalog with a short set of vibrant tracks that combines buoyant dance-pop, R&B-styled vocal harmonies, and a spirit of effortless fun that is often lacking in their more aggressive, bombastic contemporaries. Channeling the sounds of the late-'90s/early-2000s pop of
Christina Aguilera
, later work from pop groups like
Little Mix
and
Fifth Harmony
, and second-wave K-pop,
bounces and pops its way across six irresistible tracks such as the "Frere Jacques"-interpolating singalong "Young, Dumb, Stupid" and the swaggering "Love Me Like This," the finest showcase for their vocals on the EP. From the sweet "My Gosh" to the arena-sized "HOME," this debut is a strong opening salvo from the fresh-faced sextet. ~ Neil Z. Yeung