The New Black

Thank God that ’70s and ’80s new-wave-influenced pop is all the rage these days, because there ain’t nothing wrong with getting your dance on. Behold Chicago’s tightly wound the New Black. The band’s sophomore release, Time Attack, delivers a robust fusion of retro-quirky postpunk and synth-pop, seamlessly integrating experimental riffs and reverb with dueling vocals and keyboards. Some songs build up to danceable electro-pop numbers, but others — such as “Der Spook” — are fast and punked-out and stay that way. “Devil in My Car,” which runs on layered, whispery vocals from guitarist Patti Gran and bassist Liam Kimball, sounds like a remix of Berlin’s “The Metro” that has Terri Nunn clawing at the windows of the bus to escape the voices in her head.