Consumer Guide Album

Chromeo: White Women [Atlantic/Big Beat, 2014]
As postmodern lover boys go, David Macklovitch and Patrick Gemayel--let's get those sexy surnames in the lead!--are humorous and humane, and their songwriting has never been more worthy of Dave 1's Ph.D. in French lit. Never been catchier, either. The first four tracks don't quit--delectate "Over Your Shoulder"'s A-cup sex object, or the "Sexy Socialite" they wish was a socialist. A sadder and staider Solange, whose light-footed walk-on gave their third-album slump a bump, passes her spangled baton to special guest star Ezra Koenig, whose two-minute cameo promises a boutique sideline in DeBarge covers. True enough--it's only synthy dance-pop with guitar embellishments, by Canadians yet. But what's also true is that the last four tracks don't quit either. A-