When I was a little more up with the music scene than I am today, I would sometimes find myself joining the ranks of other fans who’d choose one particular album to be their de facto soundtrack for the summer. In 2008, my summer album was Vampire Weekend’s eponymous and insanely catchy debut. In 2009, it was Phoenix’s “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,” with its upbeat tempos and irresistible hooks. For me, a summer album had to be bright and infectious, and most of all, undeniably fun.

Had it come out a few months earlier, the new release from local band Holiday Friends would’ve been a strong contender for my summer album of 2014. “Major Magic” is a well-crafted collection of glossy riffs and pop-inspired beats, and frankly — even though I lean far more toward shoe-gazing than shimmying — it makes me want to dance. According to Holiday Friends member Scott Fagerland, who describes the band’s music as “dancey pop rock,” that’s exactly as it should be.

A singer, songwriter and guitarist in the group, Fagerland says that bands like Phoenix, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses and MGMT are contemporary inspirations for him. He also cites the influence of ’80s pop and the legendary Beach Boys, both of which are evident in Holiday Friends’ sound.

Still, Fagerland says that all five members of the group have wide-ranging musical tastes that together give the quintet a vibe all its own. “(It) was difficult at first,” he says. “Are we a folk band, or a rock band, or a pop band? On this album we leaned heavily on pop, and electric and synth pop.”

This wasn’t always the sound of Holiday Friends, which started as a cover band in Moscow, Idaho, while its members were in college. After graduating in everything from pharmacy to virtual design, four of the original band members have now moved to Astoria, just across the river from the Long Beach home where Fagerland and his brother and bandmate, Jon, grew up. The fifth and newest member of the group — drummer Joey Ficken, who also plays with indie band Sea Wolf — lives in Portland.

“Major Magic” is officially the band’s second full-length album, but it represents such a new and productive direction that band members sometimes refer to it as their debut. “This is our first real attempt at having a product that represents Holiday Friends,” Fagerland says. “We’ve reached a point where our songwriting is honed in and our musicianship has honed to a point that’s true to us.”

The band was so intent on getting this album just right that they ditched a completely recorded album along the way. “We just knew that it didn’t work,” Fagerland says. “We literally started over.” While the original version had been made with the idea of recording songs live to tape and getting an “organic band sound,” he describes the new version as more “hi-fi” and “polished.” (“Well, as polished as we could get with our indie budget,” he adds.)

In the end, the band members got the sound where they wanted it to be and secured national distribution, plus a West Coast album tour. At a sold-out release party in Portland Sept. 12, their energy inspired some lively movement in the often dance-resistant Stumptown crowd. Next came a “super fun” hometown show in Astoria Sept. 19, followed by an enviable gig opening for long-time indie group Blitzen Trapper in Eugene, where Fagerland says the band felt right at home among a college-heavy crowd. “People at that show,” he says, “they were letting loose.”

Holiday Friends is now looking forward to tour dates in Idaho and California, where the band will reconnect with its Moscow roots and bring its live music to new audiences.

I readily admit that I’m no music expert, but I can definitely say this: These guys are talented, and their music is fun. And while it’s too late for “Major Magic” to be my summer album for 2014, I’ve decided that maybe I’ll make it my fall album instead. As the heavy skies and gray rain head our way, a counterpoint dose of “dancey pop rock” from Holiday Friends may feel just about perfect. Give them a listen.