Sounds from Nowheresville (CD) The Ting Tings

Sounds From Nowheresville is English duo The Ting Tings' follow-up to their 2008 smash debut We Started Nothing. The 10-track album is the result of laborious rework. They scrapped their initial attempt because it sounded too much like everything else on the airwaves.

The Ting Tings cover a variety of styles. As others have noted, Nowheresville sounds a lot like listening to your iPod on shuffle. That's not to say there's no unifying thread in the tracks. Their hallmark retro-pop punk vibe shines through and the catchy tunes urge a singalong.

The first single Hang It Up brims with old-school from beginning to end. The simple guitar riff and one-syllable, tongue-twister wordplay produce great hooks: 'Break it, make it, you can make the break ..., ' Jules de Martino raps.

Nonsensical? Yes. Catchy? Absolutely. But this is pop music. What did you expect? Give It Back is another old-school-infused track that really stands out, as is Hang It Up, where Martino takes the vocal lead.

Day to Day is the most contemporary and vocally demanding. Katie White is better known for chanting than singing, but she holds her own here in the vocals department.