Will Currie and the Country French

Waterloo, ON crew Will Currie and the Country French tap into the pop rock holy trinity of the Beatles, the Beach Boys and Big Star, with a little Cheap Trick thrown in for good measure. Therefore it should come as no surprise that their piano-driven tunes caught the attention of Sloan, whose Murder Records released their debut EP back in 2008. Their debut full-length opens with an "Our Prayer"-esque a cappella harmony before launching into "The Whale," announcing the band with Currie's soulful vocals, pounding piano lines and the band's tight musicianship. The sextet throw in some tastefully used strings and horns to flesh out their tunes, giving already quirky songs like "John Denver Haircut" a more individual quality. At times, the group's retro-pop sound feels a tad contrived, as if we're hearing more of their influences than the group themselves ― "Ontario" could easily fit onto the first Ben Folds Five record. But the conviction with which they deliver each pop nugget and some terrific lyrical conceits win out.