Howlin

The debut from the Aussie duo Jagwar Ma, Howlin, is a satisfying slab of hazy neon-flavored pop goodness. Gabriel Winterfield’s youthful, inviting vocals are mixed high enough above the spirited electronic percussion, guitar jangle, and morphing synths to pull listeners in and get them on board with easy, sometimes-repetitive lyrics that take on new meaning the ninth or tenth time around. In fact, repetition is one of the duo’s strong points, from the looping, stuck-needle groove of the opening “What Love” to the house-derived “Exercise” and “Four” and the ‘60s soul beat of the Animal Collective–inflected “Come Save Me.” The duo builds song structures that are simple and clean, riding them until they change shape. “That Loneliness” is an infectious, driving vintage R&B tune inflected with a Beach Boys–style giddiness, and the “The Throw” builds with the kind of swirling psych energy that drove the late-‘80s “Madchester” scene (Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, et al). Jagwar Ma seems utterly sure of itself, carefully balancing disparate styles into a tasty, summery mix that'll work wonders on a winter day.