Syrupy sweet and daydreamy, Halle Jane has narrowed the wide scope of Art Circus, which made its arty, hodgepodge debut nearly seven years ago as a project for her, about a dozen other girls and Robert Ellis Orrall. Now it’s just Halle on her own for the follow-up, which is one of the three July 2012 releases on Infinity Cat’s sister label, Plastic 350 Records.

An influence of Madi Diaz’s unassuming sweetness and acoustic pop sense mixed with whirly piano, earnest vocals and glossy production that make it sound like an ultra girly version of Owl City, Apples & Oranges is pastel-colored, cotton candy pop filled with peach and apple pie, whipped cream and kisses. Produced by Orrall, it’s clear he knows how to tap into his inner girl. The lyrics read like diary entries addressed to some unknown dude, and Halle completely takes over them, making them her own as she unabashedly sings about some extremely heartfelt, sticky stuff on the topic of love and relationships.

Though the record could soundtrack an 11-year-old girl’s birthday party, Apples & Oranges isn’t a fluff pop record; there are intrigues here, like Halle’s unusual voice, which is soft, but substantial with an inquisitive lilt. And though the record is hooky beyond belief, it isn’t tiring to listen to, keeping pretty quiet and on an even tempo throughout, so that Apples & Oranges comes out endearing and infectious, rather than overtly sappy. – Jessica Pace

What does Bob Something, aka Robert Ellis Orrall, do? Whatever the hell he wants. His one-man solo project, Monkey Bowl, released its third eclectic pop album, Space, last July on Plastic 350 Records along with Art Circus’ Apples & Oranges and the little bear’s eponymous release. Space, not an album to be pigeonholed, is a diverse, mellow, lyric-driven record that outfits accessible pop in various masks from soft and acoustic (“And You Were a Spaceship,” “For the Hard Days Ahead”) to bright and sparkling (“She’s Got a Smile That Wakes Up the Sun, The World Comes Alive, Put Your Shades On!”).

Orrall, a hit songwriter many times over, writes simply, candidly and classically. On Space, he sings about love, the importance of secrets, spaceships and needing space with a warm, non-abrasive voice not unlike Elvis Costello’s that floats over instrumentation done by himself and several contributors.

The 12-track collection features a rendition of “Ten Nine Eight Seven Six Five Four,” which is on labelmate Art Circus’ Apples & Oranges as well as a hushed, softer rendition of JEFF the Brotherhood’s “The Tropics” that has a delicate piano base. The record leans heavily on piano hooks, like “The Secret Life of Secrets,” and one of the best is the distinct outlier, even on this mish-mash album, “You All,” with its wiry guitar and retro pop rhythm.

As with all Monkey Bowl output, Space is a multiform assortment of words and melodies that happened to strike the fancy of Bob Something, which is precisely the appeal; the variety of the record is its charm.

Listen to: “Everything I Saw, I Liked,” “The Secret Life of Secrets,” “You All,” “Stupid” – Jessica Pace