Kevin Bronson on May 7th, 2016

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The debut EP from MUNA conjures up what HAIM might sound like if they stayed in their bedrooms with the lights down low listening to Annie Lennox and Til Tuesday. In “Loudspeaker” (which came out Friday), the L.A. trio of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson have made a four-song debut of brooding, synth-drenched pop ’n’ soul that wriggles between wounded vulnerability and the liberation that comes from self-realization. When they debuted last year with the single “So Special,” they introduced themselves as “the girls at the party crying while smashing up the dance floor,” yet they seem also to be the ones who can talk frankly about it afterwards. The title track, the band says, is “a song about about marginalization, abuse, and shame, but also about empowerment and ultimately, resilience and survival.” So dance, even if it’s by yourself.

||| Stream: “Loudspeaker”

||| Also: Watch the video for “Winterbreak”

||| Live: MUNA celebrates their EP release with a show tonight at the Echo, joined by the Black and the White.