At first it was the voices that drew me in. Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald remind me of The Roches. Maybe with slightly less harmonic weirdness. Both of their voices also remind me of the great and underappreciated Deborah Holland. Mix in a little of Suzanne Vega's understated sexiness and, well, there's somethin' going on here.

As if the disturbingly beautiful vocals weren't enough, the lyrics also cast their spell. The opening "Walk or Ride" (a song that may or may not be about making the right choices while living this life) starts off innocently enough:

With just one kiss you could change the world
It might not be much better but it certainly wouldn't hurt

You can say that the third verse gets a little weird with:

I saw an educated girl give her hair a twirl
And contemplate the meaning of a man with just one arm

You can also say things turn a little David Lynchian in the final verse:

You might find the meaning of life in the barrel of a rifle
If it's pointed at a bird or it's pointed at your head

The music itself ranges from fairly simple girls-with-acoustic guitars to roaring 20's shuffles ("Sister Kate"). A whole pile of extra instruments make appearances including piano, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, dulcimer, violin and trombone.

This music is exactly the kind of thing I like to refer to when I hear complaints about how there's "nothing good out there". This stuff is beyond good, and it borders on criminal that The Ditty Bops have not caught on yet.

Now, of course, I won't be able to listen to The Ditty Bops without thinking of those few bittersweet weeks of old house memories. But that's OK. Music can serve many functions. Helping people through some tough times is certainly a noble enough cause.

(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)