bitter little dutchboy

OK, I'll confess. I was first drawn into Bitter Little Dutchboy by the irresistible packaging; Robert Farnum's strangely alluring band logo, the quintessential "cute baby picture" on the back and (the capper for me) a song simply named "Cameron Diaz." I hadn't heard any of the songs, but I was already a fan.

The gamble paid off. Sometimes you can judge a disc by its cover and these 27 minutes of addictive pop were everything I'd hoped for. The lyrics mix heartache with hope and the music straight-out rocks. These are guitar hooks that will sink in your skin and not let go. Prepare to hum for days. The album's first songs explore the central theme of unrequited love, of the woman who is transformed to a goddess in the spotlight of the dutchboy (otherwise known as Ray Di Pietro). Ray sings about his Alternative Barbie ("Nina has three boyfriends/And I'm not one of them"); he sings about Kat ( "Never know that I love you/Never know that I need you"); and he sings about, and ohhh do I feel his pain here, Cameron Diaz ("She's with him, I'll never get her/But I can dream").

The album scales its peak with its middle tracks. "Kat" is the album's stand-out track, featuring one of the best guitar hooks you'll be hearing any time soon (one of those hooks so good that you'll try to sing it), a shout-along chorus, and the album's most emotional climax (Di Pietro nailing the line "I'm too young to have nothing/Well I'm too young to have nothing at all").

"Deluxe" is the song that follows, and it's a brilliant shift. Up to this point, we've met the girl sleeping with his best friend, the girls who won't give him the time of day. "Deluxe" not only doesn't give up hope, it comes on strong. "I'd like to see you from time to time" Ray purrs. Joe Sac's bass line lurks sexily underneath.

Additional players on the album include Joe Klompus (bass), Jason Sutter (drums), Steve Scully (drums), and Milo Beuller (drums). But there's no doubt who's the star of the show, and it's the charming, jack-of-all-trades Di Pietro, who chalks up writing/singing/producing credits on every song while playing guitar and occasionally taking a stab at bass and drums. The result is, to put it simply, an album worth checking out. Who knew it could sound so fun to be bitter?

To purchase Bitter Little Dutchboy visit http://www.cdfreedom.com or http://www.cdnow.com or http://www.theorchard.com

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