Man, the Dum Dum Girls just keep getting better. They’ve already proven they know how to rock the EP format with 2011’s under-appreciated He Gets Me High, and their new one — entitled End of Daze — is set to drop next Tuesday. Our first taste is the track “Lord Knows” which boasts a showy, slowed pace in comparison to last year’s steady and terrific Only in Dreams. Backed by a bombastic hip-hop beat, the tune showcases lead singer/songwriter Dee Dee’s always-excellent vocals and ever-present heart wrenching words.
Even with persistently vague lyrics (the chorus on “Lord Knows” simply repeats “Oh boy / I can’t hurt you anymore”), songs in the style of personal confession are churning out to be the Girls’ bread and butter. Dee Dee’s impeccable give-it-all-you-got delivery gives the track a sense of almost embarrassing intimacy: it beckons back those lost summer nights spent laying awake, alone in bed. Dipped in sadness — yet heartfelt and pure — every repeated listen sounds as fresh as the last.
If “Lord Knows” is any indication, End of Daze signals the shedding of the Girls’ lo-fi skin. While the lyrics haven’t left the shadows, their music radiates shining summer sun. The Dum Dum Girls are (again) making it crystal clear they plan to remain a leap and a bound ahead of their peers.