Lio

Anyone with a hankering for bouncy electro Euro pop along the lines of classic early ’80s fare like Yaz, New Order and the Human League, or modern contenders such as Annie or LCD Soundsystem, will find solace galore in the reissue of this overlooked 1980 Ze Records debut from Lio, the alias of Belgo-Portuguese actress and icon Wanda Maria de Vasconcelos. Thanks to the three Belgian songwriters who help her out, Lio’s debut is a hit and miss affair, but the hits are truly superb — "J’obtiens Toujours Ce Que Je Veux” is a bopping speed boogie sugar rush of electro adrenaline, "La Panthere Rose” is pure quirky strut with some heavy 4/4 beats, and "Amoureux Solitaires” is addictive as Annie’s "Chewing Gum,” while "Le Banana Split” resonates like Pointer Sisters gone electro. Some of the tracks here fall victim to overly dramatic Euro ballad syndrome, so it’s not the most consistent album, but collectors and DJs will go ape-shit over the golden rarities hiding on here. Make sure you stay away from Pop Model, her other Ze reissue — even though it touts production credits from John Cale, it’s as stale a mid-’80s dose of Latin-tinged plastic pop as you could hope to find.