Bettie Serveert
Palomine

THE REVIEW

The 4AD, similar to other labels (Factory, Creation, Earache...), specializes in a certain underground circuit with its own unique "genre" style sphere, attributable to the notion of avant-garde minimalist rock/pop, very elaborate and refined, with the leading names represented by true masters such as Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, and Pixies.

The debut of this Dutch band is in line with certain aforementioned sounds. The name, translated from Dutch, means "Bettie to serve", in tennis jargon referring to the moment of the "serve", and cites the Dutch champion Bettie Stove (as revealed in a recent interview).

There is some connection with the band's music in a certain sense. It aligns with the American rock style of Dinosaur Jr-Sonic Youth-Nirvana. The reference to the start of the tennis action is in the singing, resolute and truly brilliant of the vocalist Carol Van Dyck, who manages to master with skill and confidence the high and sharp tones as well as the softer and enveloping moments. Supported by essential guitar patterns and rhythm section, Carol's singing gives life to truly remarkable "sonic" rock songs, such as "Balentine" and "Under The Surface", sometimes more sustained and noise-pop oriented following the school of Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, such as "Palomine", sometimes with a more "opaque" and deliberately "imploded" guitar sound in the Nirvana style, "Incesticide" period ("Brain-Tag").

However, it is in the monumental melodic ballads that recall the guitar-noise of J. Mascis (like "Get Me" for example) that Bettie Serveert reaches the peak of their musical art: "Legs" and "Healty Sick" meet these criteria. Between Kim Gordon and Kim Deal, Carol Van Dyck dominates the scene with skill and awareness of her means. The cited references are a guarantee; the original contribution can only be grasped by listening to this luminous debut, where the voice fits into electric weaves sketching sensual and sculptural figurative drafts where the individual episodes like frames depict it. Hoping that the two components (school-originality) form a consolidated pair, destined to last over time, for now, one can speak of a promising debut.

"Kill Rock Stars"? Better not, there will be (in my opinion) still, and long needed.