Joydrop - Metasexual (1998)

From the leadoff track, "Fizz," you might correctly surmise that Joydrop are a garagey, raucous, female-led pop band. But this Canadian foursome are also much more. Using samples and loops for an effect that is modern yet organic, Joydrop are not easily categorized. Their songs run the gamut from mellower adult alternative to modern rock, drawing logical comparisons to the Cardigans and Garbage, with a tad of Blondie swagger tossed in. With 14 songs adding up to more than an hour of music, Metasexual showcases the wide range and depth of the quintet's talents. Vocalist Tara Slone, whose opera and theater training serves her well, moves easily from pensive to powerful, her delicate yet forceful pipes the glue that binds Joydrop's sometimes disparate Euro-style pop.