After a five-year break between albums that involved lineup changes and half the band moving from Ireland to Toronto and back again, the Irish quartet
Dott
returned with a second album that mostly follows the girl group/noise pop template they laid out on their charming debut album,
Swoon
. Like
, the band's focus on
Heart Swell
is on the powerful, heartbreakingly clear vocals of
Anna McCarthy
. She could sing just about anything and make it sound like an urgent message from the angels, and when the songs are a match -- like they often were on the debut -- the music lifts off and takes flight. There are plenty of moments on
that do exactly that. There are songs that have bright-as-a-new-light-bulb melodies ("Not Sorry"), gently swaying ballads that are as warm as a lingering cuddle ("18"), sweet summer pop songs with handclaps and swooning vocal harmonies ("Swim"), and at least one song that comes across like a lost chart-topping single from 1993 (the mighty "Bleached Blonde"). These moments would have all fit nicely on
, and help make
another nice bit of fizzing guitar pop with just the right balance of snappy melody and biting guitar, with a brilliant voice driving the melodies home like a trusted cabbie. ~ Tim Sendra