Kisses

Californian real-life couple Jesse Kivel and Zinzi Edmundson must be very happy together, because the music they make under the guise of Kisses is very cheerful indeed. Even when they try to act melancholy and indifferent, the glittery disco pop makes it impossible to wipe the smiles off their faces. There's nothing particularly innovative about what Kisses are doing on second album Kids In L.A., but they do it very well. These are no nonsense pop songs that push all the right buttons — they have catchy tunes, with that retro '80s synth sound everybody adores these days, building up to those big, irresistible choruses. Of course, it doesn't hurt that St. Etienne's Pete Wiggs handles production duties, as he knows his way around a floor-filler. There might not be much in the way of depth, but everything on Kids In L.A. works. There are songs here that could quite easily become part of anyone's perfect summer soundtrack, which was likely Kisses' plan all along.