The Lashes

With more punky power-pop out there than you can shake a chain wallet at -- what were there, 739 bands on this year's Warped Tour? -- this four-song debut EP from Seattle's Lashes could easily get lost in the three-chord shuffle. Which would be a shame, really, because the high-spirited sextet's skinny-tie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High sensibilities lift their tunes well beyond the realm of the generic. Like a scruffier Rick Springfield, front man Ben Clark sings of chicks and the heartbreak they bring, but in such an innocent, good-natured, root-for-the-underdog way that his troubles seem destined for happy endings once the Candy-O synths, Ramones-y downstroked riffs and ebullient harmonies fade away. "All it's gonna take is just another pop song/To make everything okay," Clark belts eagerly. Here's a handful of crunchy, infectious ones -- let's hope more are on the way soon.