CD Review of...
Bettie Serveert
“Attagirl”
By Debi Rotmil
When Bettie Serveert was a fresh faced Dutch/Canadian band, hitting the streets with their debut CD “Palomine” in 1992, their jangle guitar and jaunty melodies caught the attention of many indie fans. With its adorable pup on the cover, there was a sense that the listener was about to discover a group as innocent as the bobbling head the pooch possessed. What they found instead was a gaggle of melodic sounds, and down right stomping grunge. It was love at first album. As the years flew by, and naivety was shed, they evolved by adopting new textures in albums such as “Private Suit” and “Log 22”. A new incorporation of patterns are in full force on their current release “Attagirl”, where underground meets techno, funk and tango, often lending to an interesting, yet at times, uneven album.
On the surface, “Attagirl”, is a smooth, atmospheric effort that dabbles in sounds different from the jangle and hard driving tunes of their previous work. Nevertheless, despite the electronica meets pop vibrations, the album lacks meat. The spacey techno touches, breezy atmosphere, and galloping drums of the first track “Dreamaniacs”, shows the band keeping up with the techno trends. The tune is a trippy blend of style, providing a dreamscape, but seems uncharacteristic of a band whose foundation is based in melodic, intimate rock. Yet, it’s not a question of wanting to hear the same Serveert, it’s a desire to discover a fresh approach on the nucleus of style that drew us to them years ago, and there are moments when it’s lacking since they borrow more than originate. For instance, the title tune, “Attagirl” is a decent, slithery song, questioning the search for truth: “Stuck in a rut, in a very tight place, you’re judge and jury of your own damn fate. From cradle to grave, you’re looking for something.” Interesting reflection lyrically, yet the sound is reminiscent of Portishead. If one is overly influenced by another band’s style, the lyrics don’t ring true. There are highlights, however. In “Don’t Touch that Dial” and “Hands Off” they go back to familiar hooks, nice hooky choruses, and racing, juicy licks that are dreamy perfection. Since they are in command of such a sound, the album regains its veracity with these songs.
Lead singer Carol van Dyk has come a long way since her days of “Palomine”, adopting a bit of a Gwen Stanfani twang that drifts between her hard vowels, and sharp consonants. Lyrically, there are wistful reflections on life in terms of where one has gone, and where one is heading. When she sings “You’ve changed, and so have I” on the slow moving, meandering and unoriginally titled, “You’ve Changed”, she’s not really telling us anything new. Fans have all evolved into different people since the band emerged all those years ago. Despite a cherry picking of truly noteworthy tunes, Bettie Serveert’s “Attagirl” is a glossy, lush album that goes through the motions of style without dwelling on substance.