The Ditty Bops - Moon Over The Freeway

Swing, rag-time, folk, vaudeville...all terms that could be used to pigeon-hole The Ditty Bops, and all terms that wouldn't come close to giving you an accurate description of the music they do. It's all of those and more. Indeed you might find out more about them by noting that they are "cycling" across America to support the promotion of this album.

But all this wilfull "eclectism" would be pretty off-putting if it wasn't for the fact that the album itself is actually a rather damn fine slice of fun and joyous pop. The two singers (Abby DeWald and Amanda Barrett) have the vocal harmonies down pat, and are distinct rather than just blending together, and add in some saloon style honky-tonk piano (courtesy of producer Mitchell Froom) and you have a record that instantly grabs you and exports you to another world.

There is the slight nagging feeling that the Ditty Bops are one trick ponies, much like, say, The Ravonettes on Pretty In Black, but, much like that particular record as well, when the one-trick is so good, it's churlish to complain, especially as the record fills it's entire 35 minutes or so with wonderful songs.

Personal highlights for me would include Fish to Fry and the fiddle-driven Get Up 'N Go, but really there isn't one song on the entire album that I wouldn't want to listen to again and again. Its perhaps a little too "off-the-wall" to gain any semblance of major success, but that shouldn't detract one iota from what is a really good record, albeit one that may not sound so appealing once the hot summer days have turned into the autumnal dark nights. And again, you may find yourself getting a little less enamoured if you listen to it too many times, but whilst the rush sticks around, this is simply delightful.