Wowser Bowser

Soon after “Water Story” appeared in early 2011, Atlanta’s Wowser Bowser started to get some deserved attention. The exuberant synth anthem about a lost toy boat came layered with charm. Bouncing pop melodies frolic over skittering drums; it’s children’s music for adults. “All music has ties to childhood,” George Pettis, the group’s vocalist, explains. “It’s that sort of remembrance when the world was a little bigger and the colors were a little bit brighter.” The opener for the quintet’s self-titled debut, released this January, “Water Story” starts off the nine-track album with an explosion of wonderment.

Despite Wowser Bowser’s youth, they wield their enthusiasm with substance. Pettis leads with his warm vocals above whimsical arrangements and tight chord progressions; even glitches in tracks like the energetic romper, “To the Pleasant Life!,” end up blissful. The languid sprawl of “October” blossoms into a vocal harmonization suggesting Animal Collective. Their catchy debut could serve either dancing or chilling out.

Most of these guys have been playing together since high school. This act played its first show about two years ago “just for fun,” Pettis says. It’s that carefree approach that translates into Wowser Bowser’s live shows; Wowser Bowser’s excitement for what they do makes their show a surprise adventure in “Dragon-pop,” the term that they use to describe their power. —Ashleigh Phillips