Testa Rosa CD

Every once in a while an album comes along that makes one really sit up and take notice, a disc full of surprises, that leaves listeners thoroughly charmed. Meet Testa Rosa, a Milwaukee trio whose self-titled debut album harks back to an earlier age, yet is lit with slyly modern wit, twists, and turns. And brilliantly so on "Ollie & Delilah," where the band evokes post-punk gloom rock, synth pop, and the new romantics in swift succession -- that is, before the melody kicks in and the song sweeps into perfect '60s pop. While the genres swirl about, Betty Blexrud-Strigens sweetly sings of two lovers, who are soon revealed to be a contemporary Bonnie & Clyde. It's brilliant, and even more evocative, when she delivers the lyrics in German later in the set. However, girl groups and such '60s stars as Dusty Springfield obviously provide much of the inspiration for the vocals on this set. Although the trio sports only one female member, the harmonies and melodies still echo with the likes of the Ronettes and the Shangri-Las. On "Easy for You to Say," Blexrud-Strigens sounds positively angelic, and absolutely heavenly as well on the harmony-washed "Arms of a Tree," but she has a tough side, too, best heard on "Hollow Arm." Elsewhere, her gorgeous vocals spill across a dreamy pop number like "Book About Clouds" and float over "Rostock," a glamorous guitar and piano piece that eventually ...