On their second album, Danish alt-rock power trio
New Politics
attempt to ditch the safety net of their influences to strike out on their own with
A Bad Girl in Harlem
. Where their self-titled 2010 debut found them mining the sounds of alternative radio, their sophomore effort finds them turning their dial towards the pop charts with a slicker, more polished sound. And even though the hand of the producers is more apparent than ever, the albums standout track definitely comes by way of "Just Like Me," a raw, no-frills rocker that really lets the band spread their wings and get rowdy for a minute. Though fans of the band might miss the more natural sound of
' previous album,
still delivers plenty of the hooky, infectious pop for them to crank up and sing along to. ~ Gregory Heaney