* * * Sleeper, “The It Girl,”...

* * * Sleeper, “The It Girl,” Arista. On the surface, this sophomore effort by London’s Sleeper seems like a so-so confection, yet another Brit-pop cream puff of pogo-perfect guitars and new-wave synthesizer noodling. But singer-guitarist Louise Wener creates striking characters who breeze by like Holly Golightly and stress out like Juliana Hatfield. By giving her fashion victims a political niche and laying out her urban malaise for autopsy, Wener matches her bounce with sheer cunning. (The band opens for Elvis Costello & the Attractions at Universal Amphitheatre on Tuesday and Wednesday.)

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).