The Courtneys: The Courtneys (Conquest of Noise/Flying In)

Dunno about you, but sometimes when you've heard enough polished pop you just want a bit of fun-infused, lo-fi, unschooled but thoroughly enjoyable pop-rock where fast strummed, chiming guitars and simple drumming are about as sophisticated as it gets.

Enter then this trio from Vancouver -- Courtney Loove (sic), Sydney Koke, Jen Tynne Payne -- who might just have quite a number of Clean and early Chills albums at home.

They possess exactly the right whiny-gal tone (Insufficient Funds), social anxiety (on the song of the same name), fan-chick irony (the lyrically economic KC Reeves about how Keanu was okay in the Nineties but we all grow out of fandom) and nods to late summer days (90210).

The songs may be tight and short -- nothing more than three and a half minutes, most around three -- but they pack a solid wee punch and cram in a lot of crisply focused musical information in the way of riffs, hooks (yes, think the Chills and especially the Clean) and even a few wiry, tight guitar solos.

I know nothing about the Courtneys other than this album, and we might never heard of them again (though I hope we do).

But for now this album -- available on 45rpm vinyl from Flying Out here -- is keeping me smiling.

A lot.

Like the sound of this? Then check out this.