REVIEW: The Breetles, Writerscramp (Permanent Press)
- Paul Andersen
Okay, I bet you are thinking the obvious: what is this, a take on the Beatles? The answer is, well, maybe a little bit yes, but there are others at play here also . . .
The Breetles consist of New Jersey native Chris Breetveld (hence the name, though one gets the feeling that it is just an excuse to pay tribute), a true pop music genius. And that's it; the Breetles are basically a one-man show. On this, their (his?) sixth recording, he has once again brought along a few guest artists to flesh out the sound -- Dennis Diken of the Smithereens and a few members of the "East Coast Pop Mafia," including R. Stevie Moore, Chris Butler and Lane Steinberg, all of whom, like Breetveld, usually go it alone. But this is Breetveld's showcase all the way, and he utilizes it to display a songwriting craft that harkens back to the Beatles, as well as the Beach Boys, the Kinks, XTC and 10 cc, also. In fact, the latter group's Godley and Creme could easily be Breetveld's patron saints. It is their music and lyrical wit that resonates more than any other influence through this recording.
The 16 tracks on Writerscramp share a constant: they are as melodically memorable as they are cleverly worded. Grounded in the history of his inspirations (which he even alludes to in "My Sense of Wonder"), Breetveld builds a sound that he describes as "voltage enhanced pop," a sort of power pop for the new millennium. This is confectionery music that doesn't float away like cotton candy when it meets the tongue. Rather, it is a sweetness that will draw you back again and again.
