Given the number of references to America's West Coast in its debut album, "So Much for the City," it's surprising that The Thrills, one of the best California-style pop bands currently around, are actually Irish boys from Dublin.

Drawing on obvious influences from '70s bands such as The Beach Boys and The Byrds,The Thrills master the Californian sound in its album with upbeat, simple tunes, breathy vocal harmonies and steel guitars.

The Thrills spent months as tourists in San Diego writing "So Much for the City," which explains the prevalent California flavor the album has. Most of the featured songs would have been warmly received chart-toppers in the late '60s, from the sing-a-long "Big Sur" to the tambourine-charged "Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far)" and the radio-friendly "One Horse Town."

The band's toe-tapping tones in each song have a welcoming sense of familiarity. The opening riff of "Say It Ain't So" seems just like an energized version of John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High." Adding to the California surfer tone, the album also has an odd cowboy theme. You can picture Clint Eastwood in an old western movie tipping back his 10-gallon hat as he moseys on screen to the distinct country influences in "Say It Ain't So."

The slide guitar accented in "Hollywood Kids" reveals a soft side to vocalist Conor Deasy, which says "Those Hollywood kids, those Hollywood kids got it made/ How the suns sets on my Boulevard/ But leaves quite a shadow to fill."

The beautiful "Just Traveling Through" sounds like a sad cowboy lullaby when Deasy sings, "This place suffocates and my hearts yearns me on, but the one girl you want is waiting right here."

The Thrills have created a retro, sun-kissed country sound that will leave you nodding your head and tapping your toes throughout the CD.

If you liked this, you also might like: The Beach Boys, The Byrds

Suggested listening: When you're roadtripping to the West or just catch them live, tonight, at the Union Ballroom when they open for Phantom Planet.