Stockholm
, the fourth long-player from Swedish indie pop combo
Red Sleeping Beauty
, mirrors in form and tone the sleek but winsome synth-driven approach of its predecessor, 2016's
Kristina
. That album marked a welcome return for a group which had first endeared itself to the international indie pop community in the 1990s with a series of jangly, warm-hearted releases for boutique labels like
Motorway
,
Siesta
, and
Marshmarigold
. After a 15-year disappearance, original members
Niklas Angergard
Kristina Borg
Mikael Matsson
reunited as a trio -- without founding bassist
Carl Johan Naesstroem
-- and launched their second phase as a largely guitar-less synth pop act. That
were able to re-form at all is in itself a feat, given
Borg
's battle with cancer, which coincided with her participation in the album that bears her name in tribute. Having recovered successfully,
serves to cement her own comeback as well as the band's and feels ultimately more cohesive and collaborative. Echoes of melodic synth pop forebears like
Yazoo
O.M.D.
Pet Shop Boys
are clearly heard throughout
's ten cuts with lead vocals split pretty evenly between
and
Angergard
, including some nice boy-girl interplay that harkens back to their classic sound. Combining the cool electro-pulse of latter-day Scandipop with the inherent earnestness of indie pop, the trio come up with a handful of standouts here including opener "We Are Magic" and their own theme song "Red Sleeping Beauty." Overall, it's a solid effort with an amiable tone and some veteran pop craft. ~ Timothy Monger