Bettie Serveert - Bare Stripped Naked

It would be unfair to label Bare Stripped Naked as Bettie Serveert unplugged. Despite a stripped down version of “Brain –Tag,” which appeared originally on their 1992 debut release, "Palomine," and sparse arrangements of new material that borders on the singer-songwriter idiom, there is nothing “un” about it. For over 10 years, this Dutch band has been delivering some of the world’s best pop music, and the new release is no exception. Rene Van Barneveld's guitar parts are tinglingly sublime, and Carol Van Dyk’s voice both strong and vulnerable. It is amazing that this sexy chameleon has not captivated the world by now. The band has been sailing under the radar for so long that it is easy to dismiss them as a second rate commodity that won’t go away. Truth is, Van Dyk has outlasted Tanya Donnelly, Kim Deal, Liz Phair, Juliana Hatfield and all the other 90’s sirens to which she has been compared simply because she is better than the rest. The songwriting here is exceptional and the inspiration fresh. In even the simplest songs, such as the finger-picked “All the Other Fish,” the playing and singing is never blasé. Then there are the stunners: “Roadmovies” boasts an effects-guitar part that should teach neophyte Laura Viers a thing or two about incorporating avant ideas into conventional forms. “What They Call Love” has the passion and flexibility of a Jeff Buckley ballad. Finally, the Sartre-quoting “Hell=Other People” gets two versions, of which I prefer the slower. []