Trading punk squawk for kaleidoscopic pop, this London trio’s second album gives bassist-singer Shingai Shoniwa a deserved platform, and she flaunts an aural star power as striking as her glamazon thighs and sky-high hair. Shoniwa is both impulsive and precise: Every string-swept disco flourish or arena-rock guitar break heightens an unflappable poise that bypasses rote R&B melisma for soul-shaking celebration. Bodacious U.K. hits like “Don’t Upset the Rhythm” illustrate how to quirk up the mainstream from within: Turn your pop art into a party, and cross every color line.
WATCH: Noisettes Unplugged at SPIN’s NYC Office
