The lo-fi bubblegum pop sound is nothing new, and it’s been done to death by several great bands (Vivian Girls, Raveonettes, et all). That’s not to say that Dum Dum Girls can’t make a good record of the same kind of music themselves! I think given their previous efforts and some of the singles off their debut album, I Will Be, it’s obvious there is talent enough to make some really great material. But the unfortunate truth is that their debut album, I Will Be, is that it’s not full of really great material. It’s full of some good and some pretty bland material.
The album opens well with the attitude-heavy “It Only Takes One Night,” cute pop track “Bhang Bhang, I’m A Burnout” and the awesome single “Jail La La.” The songs vary in structure and sound, which makes the first side of the album dynamic and a great listen. But as it moves on, the songs continue to have the almost exact same rhythm and tone. The feeling of lazily singing pop tunes through a haze of fuzz is nice but it never really evolves on I Will Be. It remains stagnant and creates a bland album that just drones on indifferently.
The sound as a whole isn’t anything bad. Dum Dum Girls certainly make good, respectable music. But what they lack is enough of a variety in song writing to fill up an 11-track album. Cut off about five songs, call it an EP and I’ll call it one of the better releases of the year. But as it stands, it’s a nice effort that still needs some kind of zest.
Dum Dum Girls – “Jail La La” [MP3]
I miss this sound. They remind me of Stereolab.