Cribabi

With the excess of empty sugar calories fattening music listeners, Cribabi’s Volume is an example of how a little glucose in one’s diet can be a good thing. The debut of Japanese underground starlette Yukari Fujio and ex-Fine Young Cannibal guitarist Andy Cox, Volume disperses ample supplies of glitter and odes to smitten crushes, although neither one to nauseating excess, on songs like “Map” and “Somebody to Love.” The bouncy, sugar-coated pop digests easily with the help of Fujio’s vocals, which can be both girlie and grrrlie in the same breath, while fuzzy electro-rock guitars emerge on “Disappear.” A deep-reaching bass line rumbles through the midtempo, jazzy “Cry,” and fertile synth textures and overlapping effects enrich ballads like “You’re So Sweet” and “Eternal,” whose Dawson’s Creek-approved sound contrasts with the dance-rock edge and upbeat sequencing of “Gloria,” which resembles that of Garbage. (On the other end of the technology spectrum are Fujio’s vocals, recorded from her kitchen and bathroom. No word on whether she sang in the shower or on the commode.) It’s hard to find pretty pop that has more than just a bubbly personality, let alone has integrity. Volume, however, has both. It’s the bunny that’s cute and furry but will bite you in the ass just when you least expect it.