BMX Bandits "Dot to Dot"

The last twenty years have seen Duglas Stewart, via the BMX Bandits, carve a rather unique lyrical relationship to the female body, boldly fetishizing specific parts while still probably refusing to make eye contact while uttering the actual words. I don't know if it's an insurmountable personality quirk or just an interpersonal sex strategy, but, coupled with Stewart's boyish, plainspoken delivery, it's usually pretty fun. It's also a pretty appropriate theme for a band that was twee before twee was twee, and one that continues on new album My Chain with "Dot to Dot" (mp3), during which Stewart sheepishly courts a lass with "I wanna play dot to dot, from your elbow to your butt", followed by "You've woken up my heart, and my lower parts, but do you wish that they were still asleep?" It's the sort of doubt-laden interrogation that could engender either empathy or a dry heave, and it continues/expands in meta-form moments later: "Is this the message that I want to send? I'd better scrap that last bit, and start my song again."

"Dot to Dot" follows at least two previous nods to the corporeal: From 1989's superb C86 and More, "Strawberry Sundae" (mp3), which doubles as my all-time favorite BMX track (just try to deny that great piano opening) despite the line "I'd like to tweak your little nose, and suck your little toes." I also think it's about wanting to make the you-know-what during that special time of the month. But I could be very, very wrong. The second is "Little Hands" (mp3) from 1993's more subtle Life Goes On, the cover of which happens to feature two Asian girls doused in what appears to be pancake batter.

Buy My Chain here, C86 and More here, and Life Goes On here. Myspace here.