They've got that spark, that sense of locking into a groove, that only the best bands have. But more than that, the Squirrel Nut Zippers achieve a level of intelligence and humor that one hears far too seldom. In fact, that's their trademark, and it's all over Bedlam Ballroom.

Throughout this sizzling set, the Zippers show off an ideal combination of tightness from the horns and a loose, jam-like feel in the rhythm section. The soloists play to the galleries, with lusty overblown tones and rockin' syncopations. Yet they never lose control of their dynamics, and when they tweak their tempos, as in that little ritard just before the end of "Baby Wants a Diamond Ring," it only adds to the momentum.

As always, Katherine Whalen brings it all home. Her voice snakes through "Bent Out of Shape" like smoke in a spotlight, and her slithery insinuations turn the lullaby "Hush" into a very different kind of bedtime story. Tradition haunts her singing, most often in its echoes of Billie Holiday, but that playful, teasing feeling is all her own. Significantly, when she's not on the track, the band often reveals a goofy, unbridled energy, as in the slapstick instrumental title track or the woozy saloon stagger of "Don't Fix It." It's a yin/yang, masculine/feminine thing -- and on Bedlam Ballroom, as in life, when it comes together, it's a gas.