DUM DUM GIRLS hit Lee’s Palace October 16. See listing. Rating: NNNN
On last year’s I Will Be, Dum Dum Girls exuded frigid cool on every song. The L.A. four-piece are still cool, and still exploring the possibilities offered by three chords and a backbeat, but on Only In Dreams they’re taking things further.
While a layer of fuzz covered most of that debut, here the production is sharper and highlights Dee Dee’s voice and twangy guitar lines, and her vocals are more confident and evocative. She still sounds gloriously detached but allows hints of emotion to slip in.
Coming Down veers away from their signature three-minute, chorus-heavy pop format. Dee Dee takes time to explore the possibilities of the song, even including a drums-and-vocals breakdown that stands in stark contrast to the lush guitars that form the song’s bedrock.
Top track: Heartbeat