There is honestly nothing better than a great local band. There’s that sense of hometown pride it inspires, and the convenient fact that it usually plays in-state shows. But best of all is the feeling that you’re a privileged member of an exclusive club of fans, and of course, the fact that there’s nothing you can say that’s quite as satisfying and obnoxious as “I liked them before they were signed.”

That’s just how I feel about Echo and Drake, Hartford natives and future indie-pop overlords. I’m calling it, friends—it’s going to be big. Their debut, Sundrenched Elsewhere, is delightfully young and fresh, every song sounding like primo material for the latest soundtrack for “The O.C.,” or whatever the kids are watching these days. (Is it “Glee?” I hope it’s not “Glee.”) While in reality I’m a jaded hag, embittered by year after year of art-pop pretension and disappointing sophomore releases, for an hour, Sundrenched Elsewhere made me feel like the girl I once was—guileless, green, and discovering fantastic new music around every corner.

Echo and Drake write great songs, but even more impressively, the band has mastered the art of constructing an album. Every track is perfectly in its place; opener “Airport” is everything a first track should be—accessible, catchy, and utterly lacking in pretense. It sets the tone for an album that finds Echo and Drake sounding like all your favorite indie-pop bands (The Morning Benders, The Radio Dept., Local Natives)  at their very best.  Most of the album is in the vein of single “Lights Out”—irresistibly chill and Cali-cool—but the stand-out track is definitely “Bright New Machine.” Tinges of perfectly-measured angst creep into vocalist Jon Ericson’s voice as he sings “We don’t like surprises here,” but it’s back to So-Cal and sunshine for the next track, “Pioneers.” Sundrenched Elsewhere goes out with a whisper; closer Skyscraper Suicides is late-summer sweet and sublimely sedate.

There’s honestly nothing worse than a bad local band. There’s that sense of pity and cringing awkwardness, and the unshakeable feeling that their badness is somehow personally injurious.  And unfortunately, there are far more bad local bands than good. The silver lining is that this makes finding a great one doubly thrilling, a speck of gold in a sea of brass. Echo and Drake is one of those rare bands.

And in true local band-style, Sundrenched Elsewhere is available for free download on the band is website. Wonderful new music, freely shared—now what could be better than that?