‘And I would fall in love with anyone, Who showed a little bit of kindness, I never knew how to give it to myself, Now I see it was blindness’ (Dynamo)

Musical genres are by there very nature open to interpretation, but few are quite as slippery as that of power pop.  But, if I had to point someone to a record that I felt captured the essence of what I think it is, We’re All In This Together by Plastic Tones – the Helsinki band’s third full-length – would be pretty much at the top of the list.

So, what are the ingredients that we’re talking about?  Classic new wave forms the base and is then laced through a healthy slug of the punk vitality, together with a notable indie pop melodicism, and is then rounded off with a shed load of sing-along choruses that relish a certain 1980s’ rock bombast, even including a knowing nod to Bonnie Tyler.  Think, perhaps, of Chin-Chin and The Go-Gos whipped up with Supercrush and you will be heading, at least partly, in the right direction.

The guitars are brightly melodic with a hint of shimmering fuzz and just enough underlying heft not to float away, while the rhythm section bounces along with a languid restraint.  It is, perhaps, the vocals though that bring everything resolutely into focus.  Vocalist Tytti, who also fronts synth punks Modem, is in imperious form.  The key is that for all her strident, clean sung melodic power, she retains the dexterity to ensure that the shifts in emotional nuance are never overwhelmed. The album’s jauntily upbeat energy, however, belies some rather darker lyrical themes as it contemplates our lack of grace and understanding towards both ourselves and those around us.

The standout moments come thick and fast, from the irrepressible We’re All In This Together and the soaring climax to Dynamo, to the infectiously chugging Change My World and the sheer drama of Waste Another Day.  Sounds to kick start your summer in style.