Toledo-based band Bath House Betty brings us their latest album, Gingerbread, and with it a somber and melancholy sound. A mixture of guitars and cello behind the haunting croon of vocalist Rob Hawk create quite a depressing listen.

The songs alone are well-composed and musical; the lyrics, on the other hand, do not seem to fit with the deeper music. ?Dumbass? is the most melodic song on the CD, but the lyrics don?t go together with the music. What seems like it should be about a great love story or a wonderful event is instead about…well…a dumbass. Another thing about these guys is that sometimes you just want to start tapping your foot to help them keep the beat. Attempting to keep a cello and guitars in time without drums is, I?m sure, a little difficult, but I think they could have done just a little better keeping rhythm.

Don?t be deceived, Bath House Betty is a combination of great musicians that just need to spend a little more time on the lyrics and less focusing on the dimmer things in life. A great CD if you want to sit alone in your room in the dark, or maybe just need to relax, Bath House Betty is a calm and gloomy listen.

Grade: C-