From the Knickerbockers to The Knack, rock bands that imitate the Beatles have disappeared quicker than you can say "Ticket to Ride." Although "Beauty & Sadness," the title track of the Smithereens' 1983 EP, was such a masterful and loving piece of counterfeiting that it probably could have fooled Ringo, Fab Four mimicry is hardly something to sustain a career. So on their first album, the Smithereens broaden their horizons and plunder bits and pieces from the rest of the British Invasion. At a time when record stores are stuffed with records by Sixties-influenced bands, Especially for You is delightful not only because of this New York quartet's ingenious grasp of song construction, but also for its wry perspective on revivalism.

Singer Pat DiNizio's lyrics mine the melodrama of romantic separation (the words "girl" and "lonely" appear frequently), and clear harmonies and frequent tambourine punctuation bolster the songs' pop innocence. Although there's an unmistakable irony to' lines such as "I look at strangers pass and wonder how I live without your love," the band's dedication to Sixties modes is too careful to be a put-on. The Smithereens love the British Invasion so much that they're willing to imitate both the wimpy cabaret ballads of Herman's Hermits and the Kinks' premetal thunder. Producer Don Dixon (R.E.M., Guadalcanal Diary) achieves a balance between heavy guitar solos and highly polished hooks, best heard on songs as diverse as the sighing "Alone at Midnight" and the spite-charged "Blood and Roses."

As if the Smithereens' affection for mid-Sixties pop weren't clear enough already (they recycle guitar licks from "Shakin' All Over," "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "I'm Waiting for the Man" – find them yourself), the lyrics on two songs refer playfully to the band's retro obsessions. In the crunching "Behind the Wall of Sleep," DiNizio falls for a female musician because she reminds him of Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman and Sixties model Jean Shrimpton. And "Groovy Tuesday" (the title may sound familiar) is about waking up to find the world wearing paisley again and yielding to the lure of nostalgia. It's judicious pickpocketing such as this that makes Especially for You sound like a long-lost greatest-hits album. (RS 484)

ROB TANNENBAUM