CD Review: Miike Snow

Happy to You (Downtown/Universal Republic)

The Swedish production team of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, aka Bloodshy & Avant, won a Grammy for their work on Britney Spears' corrosive 2004 single "Toxic." With American Andrew Wyatt onboard, Miike Snow steer their intentions toward a more indie-pop direction, making electronic music for an audience raised on irony, nostalgia, and cool tunes. Their second album is warmer than 2009's self-titled release, but you still get the sense that there's plenty of Stockholm chill coursing through the trio's veins. The synths on the opening "Enter the Joker's Lair" swirl all over the place, looking for a groove to settle into. When they find a melody to grasp, Happy to You becomes an indie-pop party on the verge of thawing. — Gallucci