Do you realize how hard it is to find any information on the Internet when your band name is Safari, your album is Human and your label is Las Vegas Records? I get paid to do extensive Internet research, and this was a toughie. What's not challenging is enjoying Safari's jaunty verve.

Safari Human (Las Vegas Records)

The label site is lasvegasrecords.at. Yes, that's Austria. Safari is a Viennese duo that plays bounding pop songs. Deceptively simple and utterly infectious, this set is an instant winner. The craft is well-hidden, leaving luscious hooks and gorgeous musical lines.

This sound has never really been "in", and many people try to create it in strictly electronic or analog settings. Safari embraces both, and that collaborative musical effort is amplified by the sometimes unison and sometimes harmonic vocal presentation. There's some overtracking, but most of the time I think both members are singing. Honestly, it doesn't matter.

Making pure pop music like this is a fraught enterprise. The easy-going sound belies the immense work required, and the off-hand delivery of vocals and music is lushly sparse. Stripped-down pop with brilliant melodies and a lovely, ringing sound. I dunno. If you listen to one song and aren't entranced, find something else. The rest of us will be hitting repeat.

Jon Worley