Bellaflea

This seven-inch is perfect for underground rock hounds on the lookout for a non-mainstream popular sound. While the duo has little in common with the White Stripes — they’re from Wilmington, North Carolina and sound more like a combination of Beck banging on his pots and pans with Suzanne Vega — there’s still a kitsch factor that is hard to ignore. Perhaps it is only because there are two of them and they are of the opposite sex. Are they together? Are they related? I can’t stand not knowing. Regardless, the talent of vocalist Heather McEntire, and right-hand-man Nick Buchanan pokes through in songs like "Tara;” with thoughtful guitars and bare-bones drums, and "Family Tree,” the last song on the album features haunting songwriting of a dysfunctional home life. Each song is different enough to keep the listener interested. I can’t wait to see what they will come up with next.