Do you remember those long-gone days when rock’n’roll was just about having fun? You know, before issues of artistic piety, “saving” rock, pressing the envelope or impressing the latest generation of hipsters became a preoccupation on par with actually making music?

The Lashes sure do. On the band’s first full-length effort, the Seattle six-piece dispenses of everything but the pure pursuit of power-pop perfection. Although the act never achieves power-pop zen – it comes fairly close on a handful of tracks – the reckless abandon it chases down the perfect song makes Get It a refreshing, no-nonsense change from the legions of pop-punk drones, emo look-alikes and indie-kid wet blankets. Sure, Get It isn’t going to be the hippest release of the year, but that doesn’t preclude it from being one of the more fun and, by proxy, slickest albums to come from the Pacific Northwest in some time.

With the same passion for all things rock’n’roll and pop that sat as the foundation for The Ramones’ blast of groundbreaking punk rock, The Lashes take a less revolutionary approach, with one part Ramones/Buzzcocks love of crackling guitar melodies and one part classic power pop that traces its roots back through The Knack and Cheap Trick to The Who and The Kinks. Get It isn’t an attempt to do anything groundbreaking or original, but rather to further polish the pop traditions that guided generations of rockers before them.

Although the act is long on ear candy, don’t mistake that it’s pure confection. Although tracks like “Please, Please, Please,” “New Best Friend” and “The World Needs More Love Letters” scream with hot and sticky power-pop urgency that almost mystically compels listeners to crank the stereo to 10 and dance around, they’re built to last. The Lashes don’t make timeless pop gems, but they craft loud, punked-up power-pop that’s as sweet the 20th time you heard it as it was the first.

It’s time to stow the pretense and snobbery and remember why we fell in love with rock’n’roll in the first place: It’s just plain fun. Turn to The Lashes if you need a reminder.

- Matt Schild