The joie de vivre that oozes out of this stupidly contagious power pop record sounds as if a bunch of friends just went into the studio to make the sort of record they'd like to hear on a night out. And that's pretty much what Mass Romantic is. Members of various Canadian bands took time out to make new wave sound fun again, giving it garage rock grit and glam rock insanity. As the band say in the sleeve notes: "it's hard to remember who played what, it was all a blaze of pipe organ, Wurlitzer, mini koog, and what have you". It's this spirited approach that give us 40 minutes of energetic, upbeat Brill Building pop simplicity in a head-on collision with rugged alternative rock charm. It's music made for cruising in a car with your elbows in the breeze, all clattering drums, infectious harmonies and neat tunes that's just irresistible. --Ben Clancy