Demo2DeRo: The Yearbooks

July 5, 2009

BY JIM DeROGATIS POP MUSIC CRITIC

The young Chicago pop quintet of vocalist Sars Flannery, guitarists Billy Friel and Eric Hehr, bassist Drew Potenza and drummer Adam James -- collectively known as the Yearbooks -- are remarkably Spartan with their presence on the Web: Their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/theyearbooks, doesn't include a bio, and they've posted only one track. But when the song is as strong as "Season of Love," a wonderfully effervescent bit of power pop that brings to mind the Zombies or the Byrds reimagined in the new millennium by musicians who've also listened to plenty of Matthew Sweet and Britpop -- you don't really need to hear a lot more or know the whole story to be hooked.

The group does note that it's shooting a video for the tune, and it's performing live at the Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont, at 8 p.m. on July 15. If it's got a whole set as irresistible as "Season of Love," this definitely is a band to watch.