Morning Parade

This U.K. quintet was already attracting massive crowds and opening for the likes of Florence + The Machine before its debut album hit the marketplace. Morning Parade's highly danceable electronic pop-rock combines the guitar magic of old-school arena rock with the pulsing excitement of modern, electronically driven dance acts. The harmonies are spot-on and bring a melodic power to tracks such as "Headlights," "Blue Winter," and "Us & Ourselves." The synths color the atmosphere and add an ominous edge to "Carousel" and "Under the Stars," where the band slows down just enough to feel the space around the tracks. "Close to Your Heart" drives like a classic pop song with stripped-down verses and fleshed-out choruses for true catharsis. "Half Litre Bottle" is the breather, an under-three-minute near-acoustic meditation. (Even the band's acoustics are electronically manipulated.) Morning Parade is a versatile group with its pulse on what audiences crave in 2012.