“Keep Calm and Carry On” is no longer just a WWII-era British slogan that’s been appropriated for posters, mugs, T-shirts and countless other products (some parody) since the original poster was rediscovered at the start of the last decade. Now it’s the title of a brilliantly catchy tune by Los Angeles singer-songwriter Rob Giles, who also plays in The Rescues.

Replacing the conjunction with a comma, “Keep Calm, Carry On” is the lead track on Giles’ new solo album, When We Were Happy. I’ve long gone weak in the knees for piano and strings in pop songs, and “Keep Calm, Carry On” delivers fantastically on those fronts. But there are some other, more fleeting touches in Giles’ production that my ears find so very pleasing too.

If you’ve got a Power Pop playlist (and really, why not) and happen to be looking for the perfect track to follow Young The Giants’ “My Body,” the propulsive, take-no-prisoners tone of “Keep Calm, Carry On” fits the bill quite spectacularly. Hear here:

While nothing else on When We Were Happy approaches the energy of “Keep Calm, Carry On,” Giles’ forays into more typical singer-songwriter tempos and territory — as on “Headlights” and “Please (I’m Just Getting Started)” — are highly recommended.

Purchase Rob Giles – “Keep Calm, Carry On” via iTunes. Free downloads of “Please (I’m Just Getting Started)” and “When We Were Happy” via his website.