ALBUM REVIEW : BETTIE SERVEERT, “Lamprey”; <i> Matador</i> (** 1/2)

In Carol van Dijk’s lyrics, dream and experience blur in scenarios where shadows fill in for characters. The ambiguity of perception and the elusiveness of reality culminate in pure solipsism:

I can’t trust the things I see / For I can only trust in me / And if the whole world should drop dead / I’ll build my own inside my head.

On paper, her words are often vague and graceless rather than mysterious and evocative, which is why she’s better off fronting a rock band than publishing her verse. Plucky and girlish, Van Dijk is a distinctive variation on the alternative-rock waif, and her earnest delivery animates her lines. Even when vehement, she sings with an innate gentleness that cuts the prevailing melancholy.

Instead of merely reinforcing her sentiments, the rest of the band recasts her down-to-earth expressions on a cosmic plane in the form of grand, guitar-led jams. “Lamprey” does progress toward solid ground, with Van Dijk’s voice gradually moving to the forefront and her thoughts becoming more concrete. Ultimately, the album is like a fine mist: not much weight, lots of presence.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).

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To hear an excerpt from Bettie Serveert’s album “Lamprey,” call TimesLine and press *5720

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