Once upon a time it was the jukebox that made pop music. The boys threw their pocket money in and the girls danced. Or vice versa. Indeed, the vinyl-seven inch is romantic, a sentimental medium. And if one of those two Electric President singles were put in a jukebox the girls (and the boys) would dance. The buttons would soon be well-worn. Is it because the songs are romantic? Partly. It's because the songs touch the very foundations of pop music: the storm and stress, the inwardness and the nonchalance, and melodies, melodies, melodies. The universe of 24-year-old Ben Cooper from Jacksonville Beach/Florida is an echo-chamber with all kinds of doors that are open to small indie within big pop. All that can also be listened to on the self-titled debut (mm 062) that was published recently.You Have the Right to Remain Awesome, Vol. 2 starts with a dawn of two guitar patterns and flows into a captivating melody that is supported by tender trumpets: "I'm Not the Lonely Son (I'm the Ghost)" is a meandering pop song, a song for sunsets. "Wearing Influences on our Sleeveless T-shirts" on the second side appears equally direct but more quiet and stately. And once more there is Ben Cooper's clear and direct voice. A ballad maybe – were there no handclaps within the chorus and if "ballad" was not a cheesy category anyway.