Bettie Serveert makes me feel old. More than dozen years ago, carrying around a copy of "Palomine" by of the Dutch band fronted by the inimitable vocals of Carol van Dijk, signified you knew what was up in happening music. Kinda like tucking a copy of Jimmy Smith's "Midnight Express" under your arm in 1964 London. The band toured with Belly, Buffalo Tom and Dinosaur Jr.

But when the Bettie Serveert (named for a book by an old tennis player) was last here -- a year or so ago -- to play an acoustic show at Atomic Records, I looked around and realized everyone in the crowd was tickling 40 ... like me ... or had already passed that mark. And the band, which still is writing great songs, was getting as much play on World Cafe as on late-night WMSE.

Bettie Serveert's new disc, "Bare Stripped Naked," is here via Minty Fresh Records -- and it includes an extras-packed DVD -- and it's great: tuneful, mellow and comfy. Bettie Serveert has aged along with the rest of us and its latest record captures that maturity.

But you don't have to be old to enjoy "Bare Stripped Naked." You just have to like smart, understated, intimate pop songs.

Instead of playing at the Cactus Club, where they'd have felt right at home in 1992, Bettie Serveert returns to Milwaukee and this time will bring some amps to Shank Hall on Sunday, Oct. 8. Slumber Party opens the 8 p.m. show.

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