You might as well be off to dreamland

Photo by Randy Reddig Guys, seriously, do not try to bring Allison Apperson down. It's not going to happen. Even when faced with a full-scale mummy attack, she'll bounce right back with, "We got mummies at the beach! (Mummies!) We got mummies in the sand! (Mummies!) We got mummies at the souvenir shop! Why won't they stop? They'll never stop!" Other less professional singers would be recoiling in horror or shrieking in falsetto, but Apperson shows an almost special-agent cool about the whole incident. The same can be said when she comes up against a blue dragon ravaging a forest. Rather than, say, running for her life or ducking for cover, she optimistically observes, "And you must be a vegan, you're so swee-ee-ee-eet/ You have got some spinach in your tee-ee-ee-eeth." Her band, Hot Lava, is terrific at producing a whole slew of weird, joyous ditties just like these. Every song on the Richmond quartet's new album, Lavalogy, is an exercise in indefatigable verve and energy. The lyrics are fun and surreal, powered by melodies that hop around aerobically. The music delivers a retro flair, channeling bobby socks and smock dresses, beach blanket bingos and surf hops. It'll make you bust out dance moves with goofy names, and/or groove around in your living room in your socks and underwear. (Alas, I'm speaking from experience.) And while Lavalogy projects an air of lightness and ease, it's also clear how tightly crafted the songs are. Two of the standout tracks are "Apple Option Fire" and ".JPG in the Sun." Both fit comfortably into the Hot Lava mold, but these two pack an even bigger bounce in their steps. "Apple Option Fire" comes with a chorus designed to keep you humming it giddily for hours. I'm still not sure what it all means, and I'm not really sure that it matters. Stopping to analyze the message is a bit like pausing a parade to count its attendants. ".JPG in the Sun" is clearer, but by no means less offbeat or original. It imagines an infatuation with someone who just happens to be a digital image projected on the sun. No biggie for Apperson, who's shrugged off greater problems before. She just cheers, "Image so perfect desires my attention/ But you are burning, I forgot to mention." In the thrilling pop playground of Hot Lava, apparently even lovers in flames can't extinguish our spirits. * MP3: "Apple Option Fire" - Hot Lava from Lavalogy * MP3: ".JPG in the Sun" - Hot Lava from Lavalogy [Buy it] * Website: Hot Lava Owns You