DUM DUM GIRLS – I Will Be

When it comes to girl bands pumped up on electricity and menstrual emotion, my general feeling is that the time has come and gone for the pissed off cheerleader banging around in the garage. At least, nothing good has come out in this vein in at least a good 20 years.

But along comes the Dum Dum Girls and their new album I Will Be, which takes that time-gap and throws it out the window like it never happened. The overall effect of the album is very nostalgic, very junior high school. It’s innocence dressed up like rebellion, given away only because it smells so bitter. If it weren’t for the rough haze and tactful use of minimal feedback, I Will Be wouldn’t be too far off the mark from just another second-rate girl group popper played at a beach bash. I say this only because lead singer Dee Dee has a gorgeous voice not unlike a ‘50s diva — not to mention lyrical output ripe with trials and tribulation of simplistic circumstances. Lucky for the Dum Dums, they’ve been able to hone down their sound to the bitter, raw, aching feeling that wins over the leather jacketed, bright lipsticked indie crowd.

The tracks, under the production genius of Richard Gottehrer, “kind of sparkle.” The end result is 11 songs that span a little under a half hour with standouts like “Bhang Bhang, I’m a Burnout,” “Jail La La,” and the title, “I Will Be.” You’ve got a wonderful combination of sunny melodies masked behind a darkness of noise and distortion, and to tie the whole thing together, it sounds fantastic!

(Sub Pop Records, 2013 4th Avenue, 3rd Floor, Seattle, WA 98121)

Free Download: Click here to download Select Mixtape Vol. 3 featuring “Jail La La” by Dum Dum Girls