Kimberley Rew got his snooty tendencies out of the way in the first half of the '80s with new-wavers the Soft Boys, the group that also provided Robyn Hitchcock with his early stomping ground. That experience freed up Rew to get down to what he was put on earth to do — namely, to craft one of the most unpretentious, cheerful pop-rock songbooks of the past 20 years as principal songwriter and guitarist for the severely underrated "Walking on Sunshine" hitmakers Katrina and the Waves. Because of people like Rew, it's safe to go into local bars in the hopes of finding a band to elevate old-time rock 'n' roll above mere reactionary nostalgia.

This isn't to suggest that Rew is immune to similar charges. One track on his new solo album has him wondering "What became of the old-fashioned ways?" and pining away for a time when "The Radio Played Good Vibrations." But you don't turn to Kimberley Rew for a searing post-millennial analysis. He's an irrepressible harbinger of good times no matter what he's singing about.

I've heard "Heart of the Sun" (RealAudio excerpt) about 10 times without ever being able to process more than two lines in a row. I just can't get past the very "Like a Rolling Stone" harmonica wash and drums that pound like glam-rockers the Sweet's "Little Willy." Some might find this type of production too heavy-handed; I say his cup bubbleth over.

Similarly, "Rosemary Jean" (RealAudio excerpt) looks like a dull love story on paper but the object of his devotion becomes a rousing Liverpudlian singalong of "Ricemary Jane" in your headphones. And while "Tart With the Heart" (RealAudio excerpt) may be about a gay friend that hangs around Kimberley's pad, all you're likely to remember is the shameless "doo-doo-doo-doo-doo" that punctuates the end of every line. Throughout the album, the cheerful ebullience simply plows over any sense of importance. It's as if Rew chose the Beatles' "Getting Better" as his musical and spiritual template for life.

Tunnel Into Summer obviously has limited-use value. An album whose first chorus goes "The simple pleasures are the best" is not going to shed light on life's less cut-and-dry dilemmas, much less attempt to work through them. But if you expect a lot from the fleeting joy of a barhopping Saturday night, then you'll respect what Rew achieves here with just a little ray of sunshine.