“When They Fight They Fight” — Generationals

“When They Fight They Fight” could have been tailor-made for a sweaty summer night.

Punchy and perky, the song is featured on New Orleans-based Generationals’ 2009 album Con Law. From the get-go, it’s packed with retro instrumentation, giving it old-timey quality — reminiscent, perhaps, of a mid 20th century TV show. Or — instead maybe — that kind of carefree community party that always happens in movies and usually takes place in a big tent. In the South. (Which is fitting for a band from Louisiana.)

But the song also plays with its own antiquity in a way that seems to define an entire breed of indie bands. Endlessly optimistic, “When They Fight They Fight” could be a modern, American twist on Herman’s Hermits but, significantly, with a dose of L.A.’s Foster the People mixed in.

The result is a track that — if not overtly original — always manages to come off as cheerful and atmospheric. And like the best summer songs, the point isn’t really to break new ground — it’s to deliver an excuse to twist late into a lantern-lit night.

Listen to Generationals’ “When They Fight They Fight” below: