Virgin

Scotswoman KT Tunstall’s been an electronically aided, acoustic singer/songwriter from the start, armed with her guitar and loops onstage. She’s also always been able to write hooks when she wants to (see “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” ). But with Tiger Suit – her third proper album – she’s completed the union between self-sufficient acoustic confessionalism and synth-powered dance-pop with all the bells and whistles. While some of the songs may seem slickly constructed, the craftsmanship’s rock-solid and the punchy, pulsing grooves give them teeth. The anxious, primal-pop stomp of “Push that Knot Away” is the best example; late in the track – after a detour into growling, Dan Auerbach-esque guitar licks – Tunstall launches her voice into a round with several different circling parts.