While Sløtface has yet to release a proper full-length, the young Norwegian four-piece has already made a mark in Scandinavia and the UK with a barrage of singles and EPs. Singer Haley Shea’s arresting voice and often politically charged lyrics are set against high-gain guitar-pop that borrows energy from guitarist Tor-Arne Vikingstad and drummer Halvard Skeie Wiencke’s history playing together in a hardcore band. It’s not necessarily a new formula in 2016, but still demands attention when well executed. Sløtface certainly places a premium on production value: Though the energy and subject matter often tend toward riot grrrl territory, the production is all pop shimmer. The hyper-compressed rhythm section sits thick in the mix, and the blown-out bombast isn’t far from the Swedish pop sheen of mega-producer Max Martin. It’s a style that serves the urgency of Shea’s lyrical preoccupations well, as evidenced by the recently released EP Empire Records. NATHAN TUCKER