CD Review - Bettie Serveert, Private Suit

Music can be a drug -- a shot of speed to jump start the night, psychedelics to spin off on, or opiates to soften the edges. Bettie Serveert's Private Suit(2000) is a dram of codeine that helps put some distance between the rest of the world and my head. Especially when I'm in one of those introspective moods. Part of it is the echoing guitars that shimmer with reverb and tremelo. Carol Van Dyk's vaguely detached vocals are another piece. The bass and stripped down drums are rooted, but still meander slightly. The whole album drifts languorously through a contemplative mindscape. The sharp edges, distortion, and punch are muted. This is an album I come back to often, like probing a toothache, because it resonates deep inside.

On the surface, Bettie Serveert sounds like Liz Phair, but without the smart ass attitude and humor. The similarity is mostly in the vocals, though Van Dyk has a sweeter tone. Musically, many of the songs also have an '80s college radio feel -- early R.E.M. or Cowboy Junkies. The chord progressions are more complex than most rock music but they're locked into an simple emotional space.

It's hard to pick a favorite track, but Sower & Seeds is the strongest. It starts off with a simple pair of guitars. The song builds, layer by layer, adding a compelling bass line, jangly detuned guitars, then organ and distortion. Great dynamics. This sucks me in. The intensity climbs and then drops back out to a subtle finish. Four and half minutes long, but more satisfying than 8 or 9. Each time I listen to it, I pick up more details (the subtle backup vocals...).

Another great song is ReCall, which starts out with a prog-rock sound like King Crimson. Then a bass line straight out of Brian Eno's Miss Shapiro. This mutates into their more typical '80s college radio sound. There are a multitude of little details hiding within if you want to dig for them (slide work, odd synthesizer bits, etc).

Private Suite rewards the obsessive listener with novelty even as the music cocoons him from the outer world. Ideally, I'd suggest a rum and Coke with the original recipe Coca Cola. Barring that, I'll leave the opiates to your discretion.