Some pop bands are very much a band. Others, like Koyal, are studio masters. Can just three people produce the sounds on this brief (24-minute) album? Yes, but there are plenty of overdubs, especially of Pooja Prabakaran's lush vocals. Wisely, the producers use her vocals as an instrument when things get really involved.

Koyal breathe in. breathe out (Funk Sway Records)

Koyal gravitates to bangers, but even most of those are filled with layer after layer of sound. Prabakaran could have been a disco diva back in the day, but these songs add more funk and a solid power-pop sensibility to the standard up-and-down beats.

Given how catchy these songs are and the media attention that is starting to build, Koyal might well be at a launch point. I hope so. We need some pop hits with the style and humor on full display here. I'm too far outside of the mainstream to know if Koyal has a sound that translates to the Spotify generation, but who knows?

A fun pop album is just what this turn-of-spring needs. Koyal delivers. And given how proficient in the studio, the band appears to have plenty of room to roll. I'd place a solid future bet on this trio. Now I just need to shed my winter weight and get ready for the summer.

Jon Worley