The White Wires

There's a whole lot of dreamy, beach-y guitar pop out there right now, and the vintage punk edge that Ottawa, ON's White Wires add to the mix is a welcome addition. The sophomore effort from the tuneful trio is a mix of sunny '60s power pop, in the vein of the Nerves, and the grungy garage sounds of a current crop of feisty (and member-swapping) Ottawa bands, including the Steve Adamyk Band and the Sedatives (whose keyboardist/vocalist, Ian Manhire, fronts the White Wires). "Just Wanna Be With You" starts out with a distorted chord progression that could easily be a warm up to something much more ferocious than the steady, skilled song that results, while "I Can Tell" can easily be pictured as a beefed up golden-era Weezer song, but the lo-fi aesthetic is a big part of the appeal. WWII doesn't require much effort on the listener's behalf; it's just a simple slice of rock'n'roll charm that aims to, and does, please.