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Dum Dum Girls: I Will Be [Album Review]

Dum Dum Girls

Like many of you, I’ve had “Jail La La” pumping through my speakers for months now, and it’s worn itself well. Loud, fuzzy guitars fronted by pleasant and occasionally harmonic female vocals, to say Dum Dum Girls have been generating a bit of hype in the indie scene is right on the button. So, upon hearing the first two tracks (“It Only Takes One Night” and “Bhang, Bhang, I’m A Burnout”) of their debut LP on Sub Pop, I feel quite satisfied to say that Dum Dum Girls have lived up to the hype. Of course, with the attention they’re garnering, that should be no surprise — but hype bands aren’t always, well, hype worthy. With Dum Dum Girls, they definitely are.

The band fits that early girl punk rock sound and meshes it with a 60s garage-rock throwback very much in line with bands like Vivian Girls and Frankie Rose — Rose, who has played in VG and Crystal Stilts, also finds a home here. So the sound isn’t necessarily new, but I’d argue that Dum Dum Girls vocals have more appeal than, say, those of Vivian Girls, simply because the are, again, pleasant. This is even more apparent in a song like “Rest Of Our Lives”, where time is slowed to ballad pace and fuzzy distortion is maintained, but at a lower level. Like “Rest Of Our Lives”, “Blank Girl” fits the ballad space but unlike everything else on I Will Be, the song adds a male vocal part.

I Will Be has an excellent mix of songs. It’s good to hear Dum Dum Girls break things up in the middle by sprinkling a few slower tunes among the loud ones that will ultimately become their signature. And that the slower ones are good and powerful makes it all the better. Sure, with some fairly similar bands out there it may seem like I Will Be has little new to offer, but I’d contend that of those similar groups Dum Dum Girls will quickly take the lead as a favorite. Don’t be surprised if you say the same thing following your first listen or two of I Will Be.

Download: “Jail La La” by Dum Dum Girls
[audio:100329-dum-dum-girls-jail-la-la.mp3|titles=Jail La La|artists=Dum Dum Girls]

Dum Dum Girls: I Will Be

Sub Pop Records [LP, 2010]

1. It Only Takes One Night
2. Bhang Bhang, I’m a Burnout
3. Oh Mein Me
4. Jail La La
5. Rest of Our Lives
6. Yours Alone
7. Blank Girl
8. I Will Be
9. Lines Her Eyes
10. Everybody’s Out
11. Baby Don’t Go

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