Herpetologically obsessed Bay area singer-songwriter Sassani puts out an album of strum-pop dedicated to all that slithers, hops and crawls. Sassani sings these competently wrought and often Jimmy Buffett-reminiscent tunes in an affable tenor, and the instrumental performances are fine. Beyond their eccentric subject matter, however, there's not a whole lot to make the songs stand out above the mellow-roots crowd — and some folks might find a collection of tracks starring various snakes, frogs and turtles (not to mention a nightclub for snakes, frogs and turtles, and a girlfriend who gets fed to a big constrictor when she delivers a them-or-me ultimatum) more unsettling than engaging. 2.5 stars
This article appears in Nov 22-28, 2006.