Its lengthy incubation process notwithstanding,
V.V. Brown's clever debut album,
Travelling Like the Light, is as genuine, natural, and deep as mishmash throwback pop can get. There are a couple contemporary moments, like "Shark in the Water," featuring strummy verses and a surging chorus, but the album mostly shoots forth nods to R&B and rock & roll of the '50s, '60s, and '70s that are relentlessly playful, whether the lyrics reveal tears, daggers, or butterflies.
Brown, an English songwriter who has written hits for
the Pussycat Dolls and
Sugababes, is bound to provoke comparisons with
Janelle Monáe for her retro look and boundless energy, but she's closer to being the child of
Kirsty MacColl and the sibling of
Jazmine Sullivan, messing with pop traditions as she courts and reprimands with a large, youthful voice that positively dances.