Following the release of her 2014 debut
No Mythologies to Follow
, Danish pop singer/songwriter
MO
hit it big with a pair of singles courtesy of electronic dance group
Major Lazer
, topping charts around the world with multi-platinum anthems "Lean On" (2015) and "Cold Water" (2016). As her international star continued to rise, she recentered with the
When I Was Young
EP in 2017 before finally issuing her official sophomore effort,
Forever Neverland
, which arrived in late 2018. A serviceable dose of sleek and stylish dance-oriented Scandinavian pop -- whose upbeat sonics belie the introspective lyrics --
is mostly homogenous, bleeding together in a gauzy, synth-washed haze, with sonic cohesion provided by producer
ST!NT
(
Carly Rae Jepsen
,
Demi Lovato
Zara Larsson
). Peppered throughout are a handful of standouts that rival those
hits, including the delicious groove of "Red Wine" with
Empress Of
and a reunion with
's head honcho
Diplo
on the urgent hand-clap groover "Sun in Our Eyes." Other highlights include the sleek "Way Down," which rides a dancehall vibe and hypnotic Asian flute melody; the pleading "Blur"; and the pulsing
Sia
-meets-
Tove Lo
"Imaginary Friend." Additional guests
Charli XCX
and
What So Not
provide further reasons to engage, but otherwise, the rest of the tracks fizzle out, especially at the close.
contains enough catchy moments to warrant a listen, but mostly remains fodder for de rigueur 2010s alt-pop playlists. ~ Neil Z. Yeung