Audio Mixers: Timo Kaukolampi; Pete Hofmann; Yngve Saetre; Veikka Ercola.

Photographer: Magnus Unnar.

Arranger: Annie.

The 2005 Stateside release of the debut album by Norwegian singer Annie was a while in the works. Her first single, the gleaming, Madonna-sampling "Greatest Hit" came out in 1999, and became an underground hit, after which Annie began work with a host of producers to put together her 12-track full-length. The results were worth the wait. A lush, carefully prepared banquet of electronic dance pop, ANNIEMAL includes elements of IDM, Top 40 girl pop, early-'80s underground dance, and contemporary club music, all synthesized in a way that, in addition to seeming nearly effortless, is immediately appealing.

The lead-off track, "Chewing Gum," is a case in point. The bright, sing-song chorus is buoyed by a bouncing, mid-tempo groove that recalls Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" and is no less infectious. Comparisons to "Lucky Star"-era Madonna ("Me Plus One") and Bjork ("Helpless Fool for Love") are not far off the mark, but Annie's overall sound is refreshingly original, especially on her modernizations of disco ("Greatest Hit") and new wave ("Heartbeat"). No one is likely to mistake Annie for a technically advanced vocalist, or ANNIEMAL for a groundbreaking statement, but what's admirable about this release is its lack of pretension. This is smart, well-made dance pop that pushes all the right pleasure buttons.