Annie
“Don’t Stop”
3/5 Stars

Norwegian pop singer Annie’s 2004 debut, “Anniemal,” cemented her place in the electronic music scene and produced two absolutely contagious singles — “Heartbeats” and “Chewing Gum.” Four years later, Annie finally returns with her sophomore record, which sounds like a good bet to piggyback the indie dance success of groups like MGMT, Phoenix and The Ting Tings.

“Don’t Stop” tries to cultivate its flow from start to finish, opening with the tribal “Hey Annie.” But Annie’s second album sounds more like a singles collection than anything else. Annie has always been a devotee to ’80s era Madonna, though the pulsating and swooping synths of “Songs Remind Me Of You” pushes that obsession to new height, marking her greatest dance anthem to date.

As the parade of singles nears album’s end, the quality predictably trails off, though closer “Heaven and Hell” is a refreshing answer to the flatness of “When The Night” and “The Breakfast Song.”

Key Tracks: “Songs Remind Me of You,” “I Don’t Like Your Band.”
-Chris Payne