Track of the Day: 'Blue Cassette'

Friendly Fires crackerjack album, Pala, has a deep well of potential hits on it. When it came time to nominate a second single, the band should have tapped this tune, which follows "Live Those Days Tonight" on the album. It tells the slightly supernatural tale of digging up an old cassette tape in the garden that promptly begins playing old memories. "As I hear your voice / It sets my heart on fire," sings Ed MacFarlane, and that is about all you need to know: It's an ode to lost love, rendered in soaring neon melodies and nervy rhythms. The live session below will prove that no matter how programmed they may sound on CD, Friendly Fires is very much a live band. If you're looking for high-spirited pop that isn't simply from a laptop, you'll enjoy.

On iTunes: Friendly Fires / "Blue Cassette"