Blank Expressions, the latest album from Swedish new-wavers Kamera, slowly pulls into the parking lot, but comes out of the car full of energy and ready to jam. At least that's the picture album opener Asleep draws, introducing the record with a slow, far-away sounding hum that kicks into overdrive just as soon as the lyrics set in.

And while the lyrics seem to threaten the onset of sleep, it's the last thing you'll want to do when you give this song and the rest of the album a listen. The powerful energy and hipster rock continues into track two, where the vocals take on a Franz Ferdinand-like sound laid over a steady beat highlighted by a faint cymbalic tinge. That similar style lays the land for the next eight numbers, except maybe for Repeat , which actually retraces the steps of alternative music, bringing back a sound of The Proclaimers' do-woppy rock and airy repeats of the chorus, blended with the Eurhythmics' mysterious robotic rock.

What I find most captivating about Kamera's style is their somewhat deceiving song openers (i.e. the previously mentioned slow drive turned into bass-breaking rock) that get me every time. Even album closer Live To Pretend has a very far-off sound that quietly builds into what I believe is going to be a soft but strong U2-esque track, but instead the instrumentation plateaus, opening up the perfect path for a deep, somewhat dismal vocal to take over -- rather appropriate as your mood will probably sink a little when you realize you've reached the end of this impressive album.

Recommended Tracks:
Asleep
Friday Night