Rapprocher

For indie pop fans who find Zola Jesus too goth and Lana Del Rey too polished, there's always Class Actress. On her debut long player, vocalist Elizabeth Harper channels a bit of early Madonna sex appeal, yet stays a safe distance from the glossy pop of present-day indie divas like Little Boots. The blog-friendly frontwoman left behind acting aspirations in LA to launch Class Actress in New York and, all puns aside, pours no shortage of theatrics into her 80s-inspired synth-pop: sensual moans, emotional pleas, John Hughes-type nostalgia. But no matter how indebted to early Human League or Depeche Mode, Rapprocher still finds Harper (somewhat) grounded in the present. It's a pop album, sure, but one that was recorded in a Brooklyn apartment for the label best known for breaking Dan Deacon. Songs like "All The Saints" flaunt some memorable synth lines, though most often, it's hard to focus on much outside of Harper herself. Even with her vocals sounding somewhat restrained on much of Rapprocher, Harper rises to the occasion on the record's sweet spots. "Keep You" and "Weekend" are as earwormy as anything you're going to on the blog circuit. Likewise, if there's a 2011 release primed to pull the pop kids into the indie world, this just might be the one.