It's not surprising to find out that Hefner's debut album, Breaking God's Heart, was produced by Tony Doogan, better known for his work with Belle and Sebastian. The album has a definite B&S; vibe in its attention to detail and the effortless catchiness with which the winning melodies are constructed. But while Belle and Sebastian are the sound of whimsical British folk sophistication, Hefner are more of a pub rock band. Lead singer Darren Hayman has an undisciplined, wailing, heavily- accented voice that could just as easily be Stuart Murdoch with a pint of Guinness in his hand and a strand of drool swinging from his chin.

Behind Hayman is an instrumental backing that's as straightforward as it is effective-- mostly acoustic guitar, bass, and drums with bits of piano. The songs, too, are simple and perfect, each one repeating in your head after it's finished. With all this simplicity, it's the feelings that the songs convey which are complicated. There's a very subtle intimacy to the lyrics that functions as an invitation into Hefner's world, a place where the emotions are as confusing as they are intense. It's a cool place.

While there is indeed a certain quality to Hefner's music that brings to mind a raw, untamed Belle and Sebastian, it might be more useful to compare them to a band with a more reckless modus operandi. Like '80s hair metal stalwarts Poison, for example. Both Poison and Hefner sing about God, love and sex almost exclusively. These subjects are nothing new, of course, but Hefner's Darren Hayman brings to them a sharp eye for minutiae and a gift for language.

In "Sweetness Lies Within," Hayman is looking at girl whom he describes as a true friend. He observes, "When you're tying back your hair/ You have the prettiest of necks." Contrast this to the following couplet from Poison's "Unskinny Bop:" "Every time I touch you honey you get hot/ I want to make love you and never stop." Seen in this light, the Bret Michaels lyric comes off as cliche and unaffecting. But this not to say that Hefner can't be equally crude.

In "God Is On My Side" Hayman sings, "Hitch up your skirt for your boyfriend/ 'Cause he's your boyfriend and no one else's/ No one's got the tongue of my sweet girlfriend/ That moves so swiftly inside my mouth." While the lyric is clearly about sex, there is a hint of sarcasm that gives an edge. It's clear that the main character is showing contempt for his girlfriend. And the image of a tongue moving "swiftly" inside a mouth conveys a certain desperation. In Poison's "I Want Action," Bret Michaels expresses a similar base sentiment: "Now, I'm a sucker for a pretty face/ I don't care if she's in leather or lace/ 'Cause I'm just lookin' for a little kiss/ I want action." The winner: Hayman once again. If Hefner has never written a fist- pumping anthem on par with "Talk Dirty To Me," they're more appropriate for those introspective times when you're trying to work some kind of emotional problem through. The songs are tight, the playing is good, and Breaking God's Heart is a fine album. The Sunset Strip scene is dead: Get with it, man.

-Mark Richard-San