The Brunettes aren’t afraid of a good popfest. For their second full-length, the ultracute New Zealand duo of Jonathan Bree and Heather Mansfield continue their Shadow Morton love affair, offering Leader-of-the-Pack-isms about cupid, record stores and beached whales, replete with New Wave synth licks and indie flare. The song “Loopy Loopy Love” is pure sugary goodness containing the greatest pop line of this year, “Gonna kill me a cupid/cause a cupid causes love,” while “The Record Store” offers the greatest music-geek line of all year: “Ever since I started working at the record store/I get to flirt with many girls.” Ha! Having already secured opening slots for the Shins and Rilo Kiley, the Brunettes have staked a major claim on U.S. hearts with their ridiculously catchy hooks, Mansfield’s eyelash-batting coyness and Bree’s droll delivery. But Mars Love Venus displays more than a Pipettes-style ’50s homage. Numbers like the vibraphone-driven “No Regrets” nudge against Georgia Hubley’s moodier numbers for Yo La Tengo, and lyrics such as “I could be as faithful as a seahorse” prove the Brunettes are an animal all their own.