It’s hard to be delicate here. Splithabit are like an effeminate Feable Weiner. Although, they’re tougher than Yellowcard. Maybe they’re more like a female Weezer cover band. Yet they’re all dudes.

See what I’m driving at?

The songs are tightly delivered power chord crunchfests. The voices are high and do the typical unison harmony tricks. “City Girl” – as a random example – is full of catchy parts but you’re stuck thinking “Why are young men singing songs like this?” It sounds like That Dog circa Retreat From the Sun. Four twenty-something men sounding like three thirty-something women? This is what happens when you take violence out of cartoons. These guys aren’t old enough to remember Roadrunner blowing the living hell out of Wile E. Coyote and it’s affected them deeply.

On “Ladykiller” they sing in fey, weak voices about a studly dude who steals other dudes’ girlfriends. Their puny voices remove any chance of gaining sympathy from fellow dudes. Jeez, if you’re going to be such a puss about it, it’s no wonder your woman left.

Of course, this stuff probably drives 14 year old girls wild. And the band really is tight. And they’ve got bags of good hooks. But a red-blooded dude could no sooner admit to listening to this than (follow me here) eat a popsicle at a bar.

The moment that almost redeems Splithabit is when you realize that “Maneater” is actually the Hall & Oates song. Give them extra points for not screwing up the melodies or rhythm of the words like most bands of their ilk do to cover songs. Still, “Maneater.” It’s not exactly a fist-pumping macho anthem.

And it’s somewhat autobiographical…

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