Pure Heroine

Mysterious, haunting, and remarkably engaging, Lorde's debut release definitely lives up to the hype. The album's production, provided by Goodnight Nurse's Joel Little, uses heavily-reverbed synth sounds and simplistic drum patterns to frame Lorde's words and evoke an ethereal, nighttime soundscape that just so happens to congeal into sturdy pop songs, sometimes in exciting, unexpected ways.

Just ten tracks long, the album explores themes of materialism, suburban life, aging, and adolescence to a heavy beat and jaded lyrics. Think a mix of Lisa Germano, Lana Del Ray, Massive Attack, and Florence.