(Big Deal)

Big Star. The 1970s Cheap Trick. The Knack. Do the following cause you to raise an eyebrow in interest?

Yep, Barely Pink's debut full-length album is power-pop all right. From track one, the celebratory "City of Stars", these four Floridians waste no time getting right to the heart of the section of the musical pantheon that marks Alex Chilton, the Trick, and the Fab Four as its deities. (Modern reference points to the band's sound might be Matthew Sweet, the Odds, and, in particular, Super Deluxe.) Barely Pink seems to revel in, rather than avoid, the fact that they are, in essence, a pop band. Singer Brian Merrill's smooth, harmonious voice is the perfect sheen upon the band's jumpy wall of hooks and frequent ooh-ah backing vocals.

The band's primary subject matter, is, of course, love, and refreshingly enough, seems to be at least somehat optimistic about the prospects. Songs like "I'm So Electric", "Baby A.M." and "New Sweet Infection" moon relentlessly over the female subject (bringing T. Rex to mind in the process). "Face Down" apologizes for the narrator's curmudgeonly ways, but soon returns to a similar tack. The Big Star cards are laid right on the table with "It's Okay", a chiming and elegant (if slightly treacly) ballad that wouldn't have sounded too out of place next to "September Gurls" on the Radio City album.

However, things change up slightly on the second half of Number One Fan. The "underwater" vocals of "Big Mistake" are reminiscent of similar trickery seen with Dear 23-era Posies. "I Do What My TV Tells Me" definitely draws its inspiration from the teenage mock-paranoia of early Cheap Trick (_Dream Police, etc.). And the record's closing track, "Let Me Drink in Peace", has a more roadhouse-y, Rolling Stones-ish vibe.

In a perfect world, smooth, crisp and fun acts like Barely Pink would be all over Top 40 radio. (Many of these songs would actually be bookended on the airwaves quite nicely by "MMMBop" and "One Headlight".) Fans of the power-pop genre should waste no time in procuring a copy of Number One Fun. And while the record's persistent sweetness may cause eventual tooth decay with other listeners, there's no denying the band's talent and songwriting ability. It's nice to see Florida redeeming itself for Marilyn Manson.