O.C. Quintet Needs to Smooth Edges of Its Funk-Pep : **; ALL DAY WIRE: “Who Booked This Gig?” (Kill TV Records)

The imperative in Orange County rock has changed from “be punk” to “be peppy.” On All Day Wire’s six-song debut CD, the effort shows.

Instead of that now-standard local product, ska-pep, the five-member, no-horns band takes its shot with its own variant: bluesy funk-pep. Blues and funk stirred into a juicy, greasy groove always go down fine, but All Day gets too wired, tending to rush tempos, and the rhythm section lacks the fat, sassy cohesiveness to yield gutbucket satisfaction.

With her thin voice and narrow range, singer Monica Salci has to get by on attitude. She does that pretty well at times, using a blues tinge for sardonic effect, or going for a new wavish, early-Blondie Debbie Harry approach.

“Wannabe” is the song that suggests All Day Wire might go somewhere, despite having unhatched this CD without proper seasoning. Salci overturns the usual alt-rock ethic of disdain for fashion followers in a humorous, rapid-fire refrain, insisting that borrowed style is better than no style at all. With its No Doubt-ish catchiness and spunk, the song exudes potential KROQ novelty appeal.

Speaking of borrowed styles, All Day robs omnivorously and nakedly, appropriating ‘80s funk-rap a la Grandmaster & Melle Mel’s “White Lines” in “Simon Sez,” and closely echoing Jimi Hendrix’s “The Wind Cries Mary” in “I’ve Been Thinking.”

Attitude, energy and the occasional decent hook aren’t enough. To quote those old-school funksters, the Average White Band, All Day Wire’s got work to do.

(Available from All Day Wire, 7100 Cerritos Ave. No. 129, Stanton, CA 90680; (714) 960-6715. Web site: https://home.earthlink.net/~alldaywire)

* All Day Wire, Spigot and Hinged play Wednesday at the Galaxy Concert Theatre, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana. 8 p.m. $8. (714) 957-0600.

Albums are rated on a scale of * (poor) to **** (excellent), with *** denoting a solid recommendation.