Album 6: The Ditty Bops

The Ditty Bops
The Ditty Bops
2004


As is my wont, I have fallen behind my one album a week planned pace but since my mission was to review 50(+1) albums in a year, this is not really a problem. I just have to work faster. And I actually have a bunch of albums in my queue while I consider what I want to say about them. Things might work out. The next selection is from good friend Kerry and is from the early aughts. I had literally never heard of them before. A perfect fit for my stated goals.

So, we have the Ditty Bops.

I think if you are a band, the worst thing you ever want to be called as a compliment is "whimsical". It's the equivalent of describing someone's looks as "cute". Nobody really wants to be cute. Beautiful, exotic, even fetching are way better than cute. On the other hand, if you are going to name your band the Ditty Bops, I feel like you have to know you will always be described as whimsical and just be okay with it.

And this album is all about the whimsy. The opening track, Walk or Ride, starts with a musical intro that sounds like a McMansion doorbell and then moves straight into the lyrics:
With just one kiss
You could change the world
Might not be much better
But it certainly couldn't hurt

Whimsy!

There is even a waltz on this album called Four Left Feet which reminds me of a whimsical artist from my father's generation, Mason "Classical Gas" Williams, and his Last Great Waltz. Is a jokey, whimsical song about waltzes required every generation? One must conclude yes.

There is a lot to love about this album, however, whimsy nothwithstanding. The harmonies are beautiful. This are musicians that belong together. There is an Andrews Sisters vibe on multiple tracks including Sister Kate. And the Ditty Bops are not afraid to mine all kinds of musical influences: Hawaiian guitar, Western Blues, Jazzy Pop. It is a feast for the ears.

I am most impressed by the closing track, however, which seems like a beautiful send up of whimsy. A song built almost entirely on cliches but endlessly catchy, it both celebrates and mocks what this music is all about. That is a rare gift and worth checking out.

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