I’m a big Gorillaz fan. And while their unique brand of sadistic pop stands on its own, part of Damon Albarn’s talent is assembling the best collaborators possible. When I first heard Plastic Beach, I was immediately drawn to “Empire Ants,” and I set off to learn more about Sweden’s Little Dragon.

A week later, this record was on my turntable.

If there’s anything monstrous about Little Dragon, it’s their pop sensibilities. While it might not fit on a Top 40 radio station, Machine Dreams is a master class in synthpop. The album is chock full of dancy tunes that exist somewhere between Michael Jackson and Fever Ray. Drum machines click, synths blip and chirp, and pads hover in and out of the atmosphere under Yukimi Nagano’s soulful voice.

The opener “A New” patiently unfolds into a thick atmosphere of humming synths, then the album explodes into a dance party. “Looking Glass,” “My Step,” and “Feather” grab the listener by the dancing shoes and don’t let go. “Runabout” bounces with retro synths and a groove that just will not quit.

But under the pop sheen, there’s a sophistication that rarely informs dance music. “Come Home” rides a skittering beat and a guttural bass synth that wouldn’t feel out of place on one of Radiohead’s stranger records. Ballads like “Thunder Love” and  “Fortune” move your emotions as readily as the faster tracks move your feet.

Even the upbeat tracks are undercut by an underground sentiment that makes me suspect that the band might have cut their teeth listening to New Order more than Madonna. And as such, Machine Dreams is a pop record that even the snobbiest hipsters can’t resist.