Sweetheart’s music doesn’t try to wrap you in mystery. Rather, the smooth production is perfectly matched to the direct nature of the music and lyrics, and with titles such as “David Bowie is Dead,” there’s much to love.

Perhaps referencing the Twitter rumor that the once Thin White Duke was dead, it joins a six-track set of powerful rhythm-heavy songs. The lyrics can be direct and harsh, such as on “Love Disaster” (“You’re just a bitch digging for gold/ You suck, I’m better off alone”), which makes the music all the more affecting. Fortunately, the music doesn’t wallow too much in misery, but is, overall, forward-looking and somewhat optimistic. The albums standouts are “London Girl,” its chorus invoking an invitation to dance all day, and “Less Conversation,” which creates a powerful percussion-heavy mix over which the bands strengths are played to perfectly. If you enjoy straightforward alternative rock, then you’ll enjoy XOXOX.

(Porterhouse Records, PO Box 3597, Hollywood, CA 90078)