The Courtneys (Hockey Dad)

It doesn’t take much to write a solid pop song—just a couple of chords and a hummable melody. The Courtneys know this, and their simple approach to songcraft is a big part of what makes their cute, scrappy indie-pop ditties so charming. The eight cuts that comprise this 25-minute mini-album boast snappy rhythms, basic rhyme schemes, and memorable choruses, all of which make an infectious treat that’s ideal for summer listening.

This is particularly true of “Delivery Boy”, a perky stomper that’s laced with sugary melodies and goofily seductive whispers, all in tribute to the dude who delivers the mail at work. This quirky sense of humour reemerges on the giddy “K.C. Reeves”—previously the title track of the band’s 2012 cassette EP—and its decidedly silly lyrics celebrate Keanu’s “greasy hair”.

There’s more to this record, however, than twee sweetness. The band’s clanging guitar chords and punk-influenced shouts suggest an affection for scuzzy alt-rock, and the wonderfully wicked “Manion” features chorus cries of “mandatory suicide”. This might be downright sinister if it weren’t so hooky. Even better is “90210”, a hypnotically repetitive surge of chanted mantras that lasts for four minutes but could comfortably be stretched to 10 without getting boring. It culminates in group shouts of “Slow down/Chill out/Breathe in/Breathe out/Kick back/And have a rest/Don’t forget/To take a breath.” This could easily pass for a playground nursery rhyme, and, really, what could be catchier than that?