**1/2 The Lookers

IN CLOVER

(Candy-ass)

Thanks in part to the rapid Collective Soul-ification of mainstream rock, a band as unpolished as this self-proclaimed "dyke-pop" trio from Portland, Oregon, can once again be refreshing. Of course, it's not simply the absence of slick production values, the simplicity of the jangle-and-strum songs, the imperfection of the harmonies, or the pronounced artlessness of the playing that makes In Clover appealing. It's the way those elements combine to create an intimate immediacy. Like Sleater-Kinney -- the best known emissaries from the Northwest's burgeoning lesbian rock scene -- the Lookers get by without a bassist, relying instead on two scrappy rhythm guitars and the melodic strength of their material. Singer/guitarist Sarah Dougher offers tributes to Lady Bird Johnson and track star Wilma Rudolph, snapshots of the 9-to-5 office life and a trip to DC, and lightly poetic personal reflections of stray good times and let-downs, in serious but never strident tones. It's music that doesn't aim to change the world, only to rearrange it one small piece at a time.

-- Matt Ashare