From the dazzling opening guitar loop of "Mercurial Girl" to the deep space analog synth telegram encoded into "What Planet Are We On?," Gordon Deppe (formely of 80s innovators The Spoons) expertly decks out the fizzy, liquid pop of Five Star Fall with tons of delightful detail. Along with Tom Lewis—who somehow coaxes synth-like groans from an old Fender bass—and Michael Shotton of Von Groove on drums, Deppe is known for layering and lathering up the sound with old effects pedals, Kraftwerk-era drum machines, and hall-of-mirrors self-sampling that works perfectly with Five Star Fall's exuberence and retro-space age sense of wonder.

Hi-fi and lo-fi collide on Automatic Ordinary, which finds Deppe experimenting with his collection of effects and toys more than ever before—a preoccupation that makes this album a particular treat for the headphone inclined (there's even a song called "Headphones"). Deppe's buoyant voice and spirograph-like guitar work suits the exuberant pop sensibility, while Lewis and Shottom bring in a heavier, highly polished back end. Melodic, optimistic and well, just damn pretty, Five Star Fall's well-crafted songs always seem to be rocketing upward toward the better tomorrow that yesterday envisioned for us. Judy Jetson, watch out.