The Long Blondes

The Long Blondes are a five-piece from Sheffield, England, who make neo-new wave guitar pop -- and, importantly, none of its members are actually blonde. While their 2006 debut was gloriously loaded with cheek and went down like a post-punk storm, their second album, Couples, gusts into a different, though no less enthralling, stylistic direction. On "Round the Hairpin," singer Dorian Cox's breathy whisper recalls Siouxsie and is matched by knife-guitar and percussive throbs. "Century" commences with airy synth washes that uncoil into a shuddering disco rock.