Log 22

Bettie Serveert: Carol Van Dyk (vocals, various instruments); Pascal Deweze (vocals); Peter Visser (various instruments); Yvonne Van Der Pol (strings); Benjamin Boutreur (saxophone); Sam Vloemans (trumpet); Stefaan Blancke (trombone); Stoffel Verlackt (piano, vibraphone, bass, drums, percussion); Herman Bunskoeke (bass); Jeroen Blankert (drums).
Principally recorded at E-Sound Studios, Weesp, Holland.
After a couple of years in country band Chitlin' Fooks, Carol van Dyk returns to Bettie Serveert for this laudable outing. Log 22 starts off slow, but after a minute, the band restores its early-'90s form. Even the cover of Log 22 has that abstract '90s indie rock look. The fifth album doesn't deviate far from the band's tried and true sound, but it's solid nonetheless. Chamber pop makes its way into a few songs, such as the lovely "Have a Heart," which is led by a dazzling trumpet. The gentle "Captain of Maybe" seems to beckon the band's calling, with van Dyk offering such words as "This is not a rehearsal/This is what we've been waiting for." Ten years after its debut, it's good to hear this veteran band on a respectable indie label. All that touring with Counting Crows may not have made Bettie Serveert superstars, but they're still one of the most reliable bands in indie rock. ~ Kenyon Hopkin