The members of Mittens are from Jamaica Plain. (Globe Staff Photo / Dina Rudick)

Who thought Phoenix was a crucible of comedic rock? Arizona is where two-thirds of Mittens -- Andy Brooks and Tom Novotny -- grew up before Brooks came out to attend Boston University, then lured his friend here as well.

They're the singers and songwriters in Mittens, whose obliquely funny pop tunes evoke comparisons to laughmeisters Jonathan Richman and Barenaked Ladies.

"Yeah, we're light and playful," Brooks (left) says with a laugh, before adding this Seinfeld-like observation: "It's easier to be deep if you're not being so deep."

Together with drummer Nick Buni, they've fashioned a self-titled CD that features some of the deftest humor one might hear on the normally super-earnest stages around town.

The album starts with the acoustic rock of "Skip It All," with the verse "Tonight I'm going to skip it all . . . I'm going to run a relay, to hell with the leeway." Then comes "Whatcha Think About That" (key line: "Got to make up ground but I don't know how to move") and the winsome "Let's Make the Neighbors Want to Call" and "She Forgot Her Umbrella," a true story about a woman who forgets her umbrella in Brooks's apartment, creating a romantic opportunity for its return: "Everything will be better when I bring it over."

The album includes everything from trumpet to banjo backup (it was produced by lovable gadfly Pete Weiss) and represents a clever, calming shot of comic relief. "We've always been into music," says Brooks. "But when we've had articles written about us, we are amazed at how much people think we know about music. We have a good sense of things, but we're not as well informed as people think we are!"

LENGTH OF TIME PLAYING TOGETHER: Three years. MUSICAL INFLUENCES: Jonathan Richman, Nick Lowe, Violent Femmes, the Beatles. WHO THEY THINK THEY SOUND LIKE: "Someone once said that we sounded like a skiffle (jug band-style) Talking Heads -- and that made sense, though the Talking Heads were a much better band than we are," says Brooks. THEY'LL KNOW THEY'VE MADE IT WHEN: "Just receiving some attention for what we're doing, even if it's just a kid's fanzine." QUIRKY FACT ABOUT THE BAND: "Tom and I switch off on bass, but he plays right-handed and I play lefty, so we have to bring two basses to each show."

- STEVE MORSE