U.S. Girls: Half Free

After two full-lengths that faded into electro-pop obscurity, Meg Remy returns with Half Free (4AD). Built upon a strong skeletal structure of eerie, lo-fi electronic beats that could have been borrowed from any John Carpenter film, “Window Shades” and “Woman’s Work” transpose funk and synth-pop rhythms beneath Remy’s echoing vibrato. Channeling influences of vocalists from the past, Remy’s style invokes the drama of Kate Bush with the Italo disco delivery of Glass Candy’s Ida No. An overall cinematic experience, “New Age Thriller” stands out with cryptic commentary — “How can you be so active in your demise?” — hinting that the album’s dystopian theme is no flippant fashion statement. Half Free collects the pieces of confusion and misfortune in a “post-apocalyptic” reality and reassembles them as triumphant ’80s soundtrack. ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆