Musik

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Slumber Party's simply named fourth album, Musik, builds on the ambitious changes Aliccia Berg began on 3, taking the band -- of which Berg is the only original member -- in some very different directions. A heavy synth pop influence colors Musik, and the "k" in the title could easily stand for Krautrock, based on the motorik grooves, analog synths, and fabulously cheap drum machines of "10-9-8-7-6-5-4" (which may be the band's liveliest song), "Boys/Girls," and "Thin Is Wide." However, Berg hasn't completely done away with Slumber Party's narcotic haze. "Deconstruction/Construction"'s slow-motion sparkle is the musical equivalent of a sunbeam with bits of dust dancing in it, while the languidly lovely "Becuz" will probably be the song most Slumber Party fans gravitate to first. Berg's songwriting carries Slumber Party through Musik's eclectic sounds, making the straight-ahead pop of "Madeupmind" and vulnerable "Electric Cave" and "Electric Ocean" work equally well. She brandishes an icy, and particularly feminine, wit on the breakup song "So Sick," where she sings, "Lost my purse/Now I carry a curse," and gives it a sweeter spin on "Hey Hey China," telling her sweetheart to "change your name somehow/I'll call you Mao." All in all, Musik feels like a transitional album for Slumber Party, but it's still a rewarding listen for fans who are willing to give the band's changes a chance.

© Heather Phares /TiVo