In autumn 2017, Chicago singer-songwriter Kathy Patino self-published Sunflower Farmthe debut album of her solo project Girl K. Patino’s earliest recordings have a shagginess reminiscent of old-fashioned garage rock, but in the years since she has evolved beyond that – the full band she assembled for Girl K’s 2019 follow-up, Currentlyplayed sweet, sometimes languid indie rock. The Girl K concept doesn’t seem to be tied to a particular style (or lineup), and the 2021 EP Girl K is for the people focuses on dancefloor rhythms and languishing synths in clean but dramatic arrangements that accentuate Patino’s soft, inviting vocals. (The title track seems designed to evoke nostalgic memories of pre-reunion LCD Soundsystem.) The new album My future (Take This to Heart) goes even further, documenting Girl K’s full-fledged commitment to pop. For this release, Patino is also back as a solo artist. She produced the album’s shimmering synthetic landscapes with Clemente Calandra (aka Heartgaze), and they feel massive even when they recede into the distance so Patino’s voice can fill the foreground. Girl K’s newfound pop sound retains some of the loose swagger of Patino’s earliest work, most evident in the spiky synth lines and frayed guitar notes of “Mouth.” From the start, she could write a magnetic melody, and album single “Alone With U” has a bittersweet hook whose fresh but familiar feel is tailor-made for the Billboard Hot 100.

Girl K Cece Maravilla opens. Thurs. 8/22, 8:30 p.m., Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont, $22.66, 21+