Smith WesternsHozac ****

Now, this is what glee really sounds like. Smith Westerns are four gung-ho Chicago young guns who've decided to spend their time rampaging through garage rock's fuzzy riffs, punk's fizzy twangs and glam's sticky grooves in search of something new to wear. But while many such exercises merely result in recycled and repurposed vintage sounds, these teens come out the other side with a bunch of sprightly, loud and blissfully ragged tunes that sock it to you right between the ears. In these hands, pastiche turns out to be so passé, and the likes of Be My Girl, Girl in Loveand Tonightsound commendably modern, with equal measures of pop charm and snarly punk attitude. Best of all, their procession of irresistible hooks, toothy choruses and swelling pop innocence never loses its glow. See myspace.com/smithwesterns

Download tracks: Be My Girl, Tonight