
Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
I am trying my best not to sound sexist, but for the most part, groups comprised of “all girls” are often be written off as a gimmick by critics. The Donnas are certainly not the prime example I would want for any prospective musically inclined daughter of mine to have. Dum Dum Girls on the other hand? They seem to be the anomaly of girl groups, and that is quite welcome.
I Will Be does an admirable job of mashing pure pop with punk and a bit of haze. A simple style and a late 1960’s feel to the album makes for a refreshing listen. Punk oozes from this quartet, with not a single track tipping over the 3:50 mark, and most of them hovering around two minutes. Speedy drums that were mixed extremely high make their mark on nearly every track.
The solo slow paced closer “Baby Don’t Go” sounds as if it was recorded next to the nearest beach, with decrees of, “Baby don’t go, maybe I’ll be back someday.” “It Only Takes One Night” suits as a bombastic and blistering opener, while “O Mein M” is a track sung entirely in German. Crackling and echoed vocals add to the allure of an older feel.
Dum Dum Girls’ first big release resides under the Sub Pop label, a bit of a coming out party for sure. Eleven tracks come in at just under 30 minutes, which of course is short, but the album feels complete as is. A very interesting album on the whole, it leaves me excited for future Dum Dum Girls projects. Constantly a head-bopper, the pop infused lyrics leave for an upbeat experience. I reckon it is tough to be taken completely seriously as a girl group, but this album does not beg for it. It demands for your full attention.
Track List:
1. It Only Takes One Night
2. Bhang Bhang, I’m A Burnout
3. Oh Mein M
4. Jail LA LA
5. Rest Of Our Lives
6. Yours Alone
7. Blank Girl
8. You Will Be
9. Lines Her Eyes
10. Everybody’s Out
11. Baby Don’t Go
Awesome girl bands: ESG, The Slits, The Raincoats, Lilliput / Kleenex, Explode into Colors, the Coathangers. Do some research before you dismiss a shitload of great music as a gimmick.