Record Label: S/R
Band Link: www.thetreats.net

The Treats have an eclectic, off-kilter quality that reminds me of Starlight Mints. Building on the Mints’ mix of midtempo bubblegum and weirdness, The Treats add a kind of storytelling alt-folk, like Tom Waits with banjo.

Good songwriting avoids their coming off as a novelty act, but the album does lose steam midway after the storybook title track. After a couple of mediocre tunes, the album picks up again at the end, though some might feel it channels Waits a bit too directly (the last two tunes sound lifted straight out of Rain Dogs).

Bottom Line: I like this style of weird troubadour indie, but too much filler here.
Notable Tracks: Yahweh Won’t Look the Other Way, Everybody’s Got To Go Sometime
Overall Rating: