CD Reviews

The Ditty Bops

Moon Over The Freeway | Warner Bros.

By MEGAN BELL | August 1, 2006

3.0 Stars

Armed with mandolin, lap steel guitar, and washboard, Los Angeles’ Ditty Bops reach farther back in time than a synthesizer and drum machine for nostalgia. C&W, pop, bluegrass, folk, and ragtime all receive a tip of the fedora here, and they contribute to the group’s jangly, spunky sound while the soft, linen-crisp vocals of Abby DeWald and Amanda Barrett blend and harmonize, their tone recalling the Andrews Sisters instead of modern pop virtuosity. From a bizarre fanfare challenging pretension (“Your Head’s Too Big”) to a slice of frenzied urban life (“Waking Up in the City”), most anything goes on Freeway, including an intimate, heart-on-the-sleeve cover of the Everlys’ “Bye Bye Love.” The sparse instrumentation and leisurely pace evoke dreams of cruising with the convertible’s top down, as the title track suggests, but the Bops themselves would prefer to pedal. Currently in the midst of their 2006 Bicycle Tour, they are cycling from venue to venue across the country, not to make a statement but because they enjoy it.

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Topics: CD Reviews , Entertainment, Music, Bluegrass

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Songs from Moon Over the Freeway, The Ditty Bops

ARTICLES BY MEGAN BELL

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