Search - Bettie Serveert :: Log 22

Junkmedia.org Review - Plenty to love ...

junkmedia | Los Angeles, CA | 04/02/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Bettie Serveert spent the bulk of the '90s on the cusp of mainstream acceptance. The Dutch band had enough rough edges to appeal to the indie crowd, but also possessed the tunefulness necessary for commercial success. Its signature song, ?Tomboy?, was a big, yearning ballad, sounding like Chrissie Hynde fronting a feedback-drenched Crazy Horse. Alas, the long-awaited breakthrough never came, and after three albums on Matador the band went on hiatus. They returned with a revamped lineup a few years back and released the somewhat muddled Private Suit. Log 22, the band's latest, is more like it -- it?s a logical continuation of the act's basic sound, with a few new elements thrown in for good measure.From the very start of Log 22, singer/guitarist Carol Van Dyk sounds on top of her game. She always possessed some of the most expressive pipes in indie rock, and she?s only gotten better with age. Indeed, much of this record almost feels like a Van Dyk solo project: her vocals here are refreshingly high in the mix, whereas on previous outings she was sometimes reduced to hollering over the band?s distorted din.?Captain of Maybe? is a good example of a new, more sensitive Bettie Serveert: over a bed of gorgeous e-bowed guitars, Van Dyk sings an intimate, bittersweet ballad that?s sure to melt even the iciest of hearts. Another standout, ?Have A Heart?, pairs the singer with a full horn section to surprisingly powerful effect.All of this is not to say the band has given up on their distortion pedals. Guitarist Peter Visser gets his chance to shine on several tracks. There?s the long, Velvet Underground-inspired jam at the end of ?White Dogs?, and the bracing power chords of ?Smack.? And speaking of the Velvets, aficionados out there will catch Visser quoting the demonic melody line of ?Lady Godiva?s Operation? in his solo on ?The Ocean, My Floor?. That must be why Lou Reed and company are thanked prominently in the liner notes.One shortcoming on Log 22 is that the band is almost always good. That doesn?t sound like a shortcoming does it? In other words, they?re good, but never great. This is the same problem Bettie Serveert faced on previous releases. There?s a consistency in quality throughout the record, but nothing stunning enough to send you running to your stereo to hit the repeat button. Still, fans of the band will find plenty here to love.Tyler Wilcox
Junkmedia.org Review"

Another ace from Bettie Serveert!

B.A.S. | watford, herts United Kingdom | 04/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before Log 22 Bettie Serveert had made two great albums, Palomine and Dust Bunnies, one good album, Lamprey, and their last album, Private Suit, a rather dull and middle-aged affair. Something's inspired them though, cause this is definitely up there with the best. Log 22 is probably most like Dust Bunnies, with its great songwriting, ragged production, rhythmic jammy songs, and nods to the Velvet Underground aplenty. It clocks in at about 60 minutes, 20 or so longer than 'Bunnies, but still retains the lean, hungry feel of that album, with very little fat. Although Carol Van Dyk's lyrics have always been very personal - a "Diva in Denial" as she describes herself in one top tune - you just don't think of her as some self-obsessed singer-songwriter. Perhaps that's cause she's more of a rock chick fronting an otherwise male band, or maybe it's the no-nonsense honesty in her vocals and the edge that being Dutch, bizarrely, but indisputedly, lends them.And they still adorn the multitude of styles Bettie Serveert cover, from the insistently catchy indie rock of the title track to the punk pop of Smack, the folk ballad Captain of Maybe and even the discofied rock of The Love-In. And with a guy on guitar and production duties who thinks he's an indie Neil Young, how could you possibly go wrong? A great album by a great band, well worth a few Euros."

Carol is still one of the best

Scott D. Cooper | edison, nj United States | 04/25/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's always good to hear the mesmerizing voice of Carol Van Dyk and that is enough to buy any album that this band releases.
The Dutch group,a staple in the alternative euro niche since the early 90s have turned out some strong product,notably Palomine,Dust Bunnies and their Velvet Underground tribute.
This work falls somewhere inbetween,ocasionally heartfelt and driving,but also sometimes poppy and aloof.The main listeing point is the vocals of Carol. She has a voice that relays emotion and drama,say in the way Tracey Thorn does,or Bjork.
Her range is strong and she can be equally effective speaking her lyrics or belting them out as on the previous Private Suit,
an underrated and intense release.
In short if you have not discovered Carol Van Dyk,the time has come"