Say 'Hi' to Little Junior and their amazing cover of Carly Rae Jepsen's "I Really Like You."

Usually I don’t go for kitschy covers as a promotional tactic, but this version of Carly Rae Jepsen's "I Really Like You" by Toronto’s Little Junior is an exception. It’s definitely a bit of a stunt, but there is zero ironic distancing going on here. The song appears as the final track on the band’s debut LP Hi, and the video they created is a great lo-fui production that mimics the original.

In the video Annie Murphy from Schitt's Creek plays Tom Hanks, while Rane Elliott-Armstrong of Little Junior is Carly.

The band’s heart is also in the right place. They said:

Any money we get from covering this video by the flawless Carly Rae Jepsen is going to Youth Line, a youth-led organization that provides peer support for LGBTQ2 youth in Toronto. It's a great cause and we feel we have a responsibility to use our privilege to give back to our community. To our LGBTQ2 family and friends: we see you, we're here for you.

Hi isn’t out until May 11, but I’ve been listening to it this morning and it brings up the same question I frequently ask about band’s from Toronto: are they just born with hooks galore running through their blood? Hi is more power-pop than punk, but there’s enough attitude in there to keep things just the right amount of scuzzy with flashes of polish. And these folks can really write concise bursts of music that waste none of your time but give you all the pleasure—the album’s 11 tracks clock in at under 32 minutes.

The band will be touring in April and May, and I'll definitely be at their Chicago show at Subterranean on May 19.

Hope this video brightens your day as much as it did mine.