I’ll admit it – as a writer, I’m a sucker for a good title and from that stand point, David Levin’s Stepping On My Hat certainly delivers. As a listener it helps that the Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter’s latest offering is chock full of witty lyrics and juicy hooks.

The music has the jaunty bounce of some of the best early-80’s pop, when ska beats were first meeting punks’ three-chords. Levin’s voice, lightly reminiscent of Sting at some turns, adds warmth to the inherent good humor conveyed by many of the songs words, like “Nothing,” his take on a self-esteem challenged Superman. “Blood And Feathers” offers a mediation on the stupid things done in the quest for fame driven by a chugging guitar line and solid backbeat.

Elsewhere, “We’re Okay (For Humans)” nicely marries melody with a realists’ optimism and “Demolition Boy” and the title track both sound like songs Squeeze might have recorded in their early days.

Oddly, the disc’s standout track just might be the softer “Keep Breathing,” with its lush sound and plea to the female protagonist to “keep breathing, sometimes it’s all you can do.”

It’s not always easy to keep laughing at life when you’re freezing your touchas off in Minnesota, but with luck David Levin will stay warm and continue to share his unique world view for many albums to come.