As the singer-songwriters of the DB's, Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey struggled to merge two distinct pop visions. Holsapple, with his gift for irresistible melodies, wrote emotionally sincere rock & roll songs that chronicled yearning and heartbreak in an insightful and convincing manner. Stamey was more canny and cerebral, an emotional voyeur; his songs were filled with analytical images, angular melodies and abstract sonic splashes.

Eight years after parting ways, Holsapple and Stamey recently reunited to record Mavericks, a savvy collection of seasoned folk pop that smoothly reconciles past artistic differences. Spartanly produced by Holsapple and Stamey, the album exudes a cozy air of hope, intimacy and economy; it largely abandons the primal urges of rock & roll to find unity in the nuances of acoustic-electric music. Assisted by, among others, percussionist Michael Blair, cellist Jane Scarpantoni and bassist Ilene Markell, Holsapple and Stamey meticulously construct an inviting series of minimalist moodscapes. The result is a surprisingly cohesive body of work held together by wisps of Sixties psychedelia, haunting atmospherics and smart arrangements colored with enterprising vocal harmonies and lithe melodies.

Holsapple emerges a master of pop simplicity: "Angels" (co-written with Stamey), "Anymore" and "She Was the One," driven by bittersweet, understated performances and heartfelt vocals, beautifully articulate bruised emotion and trembling hearts. Holsapple's unabashedly sentimental lyrics radiate the urgency and necessity of love. In the haunting "I Know You Will," he declares desperate devotion to an uncaring woman: "I need you now, like I'll need you then/Like gravity, like oxygen." And he wittily addresses love and maturity in the sweet "Child in You": "If the end result is that you must grow up/Please keep it hidden deep within the child in you."

Stamey, too, has sharpened his craft, developing into a capable singer who recognizes the limits and effects of his vocal mannerisms. His songwriting is industrious but accessible, promoting intellect without drifting too far into self-indulgence. Particularly impressive is "I Want to Break Your Heart"; direct in its lyrics and melodically inventive, it is Stamey's most focused work to date.

As implied by the title, Mavericks takes chances. A personal document not of pop revolution but of pop evolution, it avoids the obvious and dismisses the expected to bring new dimension to the work of two of pop's long-deserving songwriters. (RS 606)

ED BUMGARDNER