A band whose third album contains echoes of cheese classics like “Kokomo,” “Eye of the Tiger,” and “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” is hilariously self-aware or hilariously clueless, right? Well, the two jokers in the Tough Alliance offer a third option: They’re militantly sincere. Amid cha-cha rhythms, soccer-arena choruses, and beats as bright and bouncy as beach balls, the Swedish electro poppers sling anti-irony mission statements about “looking for gold” and chasing “something real.” The loose, tropical vibe begs another question: How can music with an agenda feel so carefree?
