For the ACB’s, pop perfection is as easy as, well, 1-3-2

“Everyone Wants To See You,” by the ACBs, from The ACBs (self-released):

Creating the perfect pop song is a lot harder than it looks.

Take the Beatles’ “Yesterday,” for example. Frequently considered the gold standard in pop songwriting, it was ranked by MTV and Rolling Stone as No. 1 on their list of all-time best songs in 2000. Not surprisingly, the Guinness Book of World Records also lists “Yesterday” as the most covered pop song in history, with more than 3,000 different versions having been recorded.

Also no surprise: Most of them are terrible.

It is surprising, then, that the four members of Kansas City’s the ACB’s have managed to write original songs that come so close to achieving guitar-pop perfection, especially on their first at bat. The band’s self-titled debut album finds that elusive mix of catchy hooks, pitch-perfect harmonies and buoyant lyrics (with just a hint of corniness, for effect).

“We don’t apologize for playing pop music,” says Konnor Ervin, the band’s guitarist, lead singer and chief songwriter, as he explains the band’s approach to music from a secluded table at McCoy’s in Westport on a quiet Thursday night. “Some people only seem to be able to enjoy pop on an ironic level, but we really are into what we’re playing.”

He’s not just saying that. Whereas most bands try to name-drop at least a few cred-boosting influences, almost every musician the band members mention is decidedly uncool: Phil Collins, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston — a laundry list of incredibly talented and influential … dweebs.

“Some people seem to have this idea that if the music isn’t cool, it’s crap,” Ervin says. “We’re not ones to sit around and wait to be told what the next cool thing is.”

“We’re not afraid to throw in a few harmonies, either,” adds drummer and singer Corey Egan. “Maybe even a little bit of the cheese factor now and then, if it sounds good.”

Considering the band’s influences, the ACB’s’ debut isn’t the least bit uncool. On more than a few tracks, Ervin and Egan — along with bassist and singer Bryan McGuire and guitarist and singer Matt Saladino — come close to channeling the same charisma-charged formula that made pop’s greatest hitmakers into household names.

The bouncing “We’ll Walk on the River” wouldn’t sound out of place on any of Weezer’s color-coded albums. “My Movies” jives like a rewrite of the Temptations’ “Get Ready.” And the staccato riffs on the album’s best track, “Everyone Wants to See You,” make one wonder if Ric Ocasek was either in the booth or strapped to a guitar when it was recorded.

“I think we were just in a good state of mind when we recorded it [the album],” McGuire says.

Speaking of which, exactly when was it recorded? Considering the amount of buzz the band has garnered around town in the past few months (playing with it bands It’s Over and the Republic Tigers, for example, or being nominated for a Best Pop Act Pitch Music Award), it might seem like the album hit store shelves only recently.

In fact, it was released nearly two years ago, around the time the band was forming. Ervin, McGuire and Egan had been playing in bands and recording together for years and decided to add Saladino and take on the new name in November 2006. Other start-up bands usually need at least a few months of writing and playing together before they can step into the studio, but the newly named ACB’s were ready right out of the gate.

“We were kind of the chick under the egg when we first started out,” McGuire says. “We had this great CD so soon after we started, but it was still hard to book shows.”

Even after the gigs started coming, Egan says the band didn’t draw much of a crowd — at least not an attentive one.

“We used to be the background music to the party,” he says. “People would come to a bar to hang out with their friends, and they would hear us play and maybe say, ‘That’s a great song,’ but they weren’t really there to see us.”

How times have changed. The ACB’s are now the center of attention at their energy-packed shows, which Ervin describes as raw interpretations of the songs on the album. So if people are finally catching on to a record that’s been around for nearly two years, when will the next disc arrive?

“We have a lot of new songs written, but we’re not in any hurry to get back in the studio,” Ervin says. “Our goal is to be around for a long time and put out a lot of great albums that each sound different. Our last album was a superb effort, but I really want this next one to be perfect.”

Maybe all that’s missing is a really good Beatles cover.