now playing | Dum Dum Girls | He Gets Me High

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Short, sweet and packing a punch of garage guitar fuzz mingled with Spector-era girl-pop, He Gets Me High is a step in the right direction for Dee Dee (nee Kirstin Gundred) and her band, Dum Dum Girls. Recorded solo, with production assists from  Sune Rose Wagner of The Raveonettes, as well as Richard Gottehrer (known for his work with Blondie and The Go-Go’s), the EP’s four brief tracks are hopefully just a taste of what’s to come.

Maintaining a core of 60s girl pop covered with fuzzy guitar tones and punk rock panache, He Gets Me High eschews some of the lo-fi aesthetic on  Dum Dum Girls’ 2010 debut, I Will Be, in favor of some clarity. But just because it’s cleaner doesn’t mean it’s quieter. Unlike moments on I WIll Be, where guitar riffs are dulled out by the raw recordings, here the guitars are crisp, at least when they’re supposed to be. On “Take Care of My Baby”, the EPs dreamiest, fuzziest moment, it’s Dee Dee’s vocals that steal all the thunder.

A fun cover of The Smith’s “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”  (which is everybody’s favorite The Smiths song, right?) caps off the set, and while it isn’t much of a departure, Dee Dee’s earnestness marks a subtle shift from Morrissey’s well-known melancholy.

For those who missed out on Dum Dum Girls last year, He Gets Me High is a great introduction and hopefully a nod to where Dee Dee is headed, because I want more, and soon,  please.

 

This entry was posted on Monday, March 7th, 2011 at 8:28 am. It is filed under cool music, lifestyle and tagged with Dum Dum Girls, He Gets Me High, music, Sub Pop. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.