Being picked up by a label can definitely be a hard sell. Obviously, there are more bands than labels to sign them, and the chances of actually making more of an impression on a label rep than thousands of other similar sounding artists is slim. Some exceptions exist: Bob Dylan became well known through sheer word of mouth in Greenwich Village; The Velvet Underground were more or less sought after by Andy Warhol’s people; and in possibly the most stunning example of a band’s hype being considered over their musical ability Interscope had to outbid other record companies for the right to release the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ first full-length before it was even recorded.

Then there’s Happy Birthday, a band initially put together to play only one show and signed by Sub Pop less than six months after recording (not releasing) their first LP. Okay, so there’s a pretty major piece of this puzzle I’ve left out; namely that the band’s mastermind is Kyle Thomas of Feathers, Witch, and King Tuff fame. Still, it’s an impressive feat for the Vermont trio, and it’s easy to see why Sub Pop took that chance presumably without hearing much, if any, recorded material: Happy Birthday is poised to be the breakout band of 2010, much in the same way Matador Records’ Girls broke onto the scene with last year’s Album.

Whatever else this record is, it’s definitely hook heavy. That much is made clear immediately with the first track (and the band’s first single), “Girls FM.” While the song fluctuates between 3/4 waltz time and a steady, rock and roll tempo, Thomas’ lyrics in the song are wonderfully simple, starting with “Baby, baby just please change your mind/ Maybe we’ll understand love at the end of time” and culminating with the chorus: “I’m always on the same frequency: Girls FM”. The tongue-in-cheek attitude and clever wordplay imply a certain nonchalance, the implication being that making the record was second only to their own personal enjoyment. After so many listens, Happy Birthday sounds less like a new band and more like a group of old friends you’d see play at a local watering hole: familiar and fun all at the same time.

It isn’t just that the band is fun, though; it’s that they’re fun while still being so impressive musically. Perhaps most interesting about this album is just how structurally sound it is. Thomas & Co. weave together near perfect pop gems while channeling equal parts Marc Bolan and Lou Reed. On the explosive track “Zit,” the band even seems to take their own spin on an MC5 song, replacing the rally cry of “kick out the jams, motherfucker” with “now I wanna break shit, don’t wanna make shit.” From track to track squealing, spacey guitar is followed by heavy distortion almost seamlessly. Where most bands sound too busy or experimental Happy Birthday pull it off with a routine, even nonchalant flare.

By the halfway point of Happy Birthday it becomes obvious that what you’re listening to is a record everyone will be talking about. “Subliminal Message” manages to pull off the psychedelic revival MGMT brought on their first album without it sounding like a forced homage. The final track on the album, “Fun,” is almost bittersweet; it’s not sadness – although the sweet strumming guitar and soft vocals do make for a somber ending – but disappointment that it has to come to an end. There’s something special about that, I think; the feeling you get after you finish hearing something you really loved, quickly skipping back to hear it all again. It’s completely genuine, and that genuineness along with Happy Birthday‘s remarkable simplicity make it a truly special listening experience. In short: the first great record of 2010.