In the tradition of Air France, Studio, The Tough Alliance, and other Swedish pop groups that have emerged in the last couple of years, newcomers jj have arrived to soundtrack the summer of 2009 with their first full length, and predictably, it’s bursting with sunny pop and beautiful melodies.

At this point, another album of beautiful pop on Sincerely Yours is no longer a surprise, but that doesn’t make jj n° 2 any less of a joy. If you’re familiar with their aforementioned label mates, then you already have a pretty good idea of what jj are peddling with this release. It’s more joyful, perfect-for-summer, balearic-tinged pop music that’s easy to love and endlessly enjoyable. jj differentiate themselves a bit from the music of their predecessors by expanding the palate they use to construct these songs with some elements of hip-hop and club music.

Lead single “Ecstasy” swipes the bleeps of Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop” and the result sounds like something appropriate for a rave, which isn’t something you’d say about Air France. The track is one of the best on the album, taking Wayne’s song and adding in what sounds like whale mating calls and beautiful female vocals (yes, about drugs). The result is surprisingly good, and the song is beautiful and moving, while sporting a boastfulness usually reserved for rap songs.

The majority of the record though is sunny, upbeat pop like “From Africa to Málaga,” which despite a tinge of melancholy (it deals with themes of death and loss) is still a joyous and rousing number. The feeling is ultimately a positive one and the song flies high on bouncing xylophones and drums, eventually getting carried into the sky by the soaring female vocals that permeate the rest of the album.

Closer “Me & Dean” stands out as the slowest and quietest track on the album. With its laughing and starts and stops, it feels like a live out take, but despite its slow tempo, it ends up being one of the strongest songs present. The song features the least amount of instrumentation of any track on the album, with barely more than a strumming acoustic guitar and female vocals. It’s a strong closer and one of the prettiest songs here, which is saying a lot. It’s an interesting inclusion as it is quite different than the rest of the tracks, but it ends up being a perfectly poignant way to end the record.

Just like summer itself, jj n° 2 is over way too quickly. At 28 minutes, it left me wanting much more, (Tip: jj n° 1, a two song release from earlier this year is also brilliant and goes well when played back to back with this album) but it’s hard to fault an album so unrelentingly catchy and beautiful. jj n° 2 is the perfect soundtrack to summer, but its soaring melodies and beautiful vocals make it one of the best albums of the year, one that should resonate long after the season is over.