Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High

Dee Dee’s charm comes through the fact that although she’s a voice in a thousand, clustered amongst a saturated group of artists with the “lo-fi” tag, she’s one of only a few to put song-writing above image. Her artistic endeavours come before her press photos. Her second release in just under a year sees a refining of 2010’s debut, ‘I Will Be’, under the Dum Dum Girls moniker, with snappy, shrill songs given a steadier platform.

One of these is a cover of The Smiths’, perhaps most well known song, ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’. This up-tempo cover will unarguably garner the majority of the EP’s publicity, but it’s the rest of the four-track collection that exudes the most excitement. Naturally, hearing Dee Dee yell “to die by your side, is such a heavenly way to die” is an experience we ought to cherish, but ‘Take Care Of My Baby’’s swooning, dramatic lull is of more interest. Equally, ‘Wrong Feels Right’’s ode to 60s’ pop glamour is an ideal way of beginning the EP. There isn’t a bad move to be found anywhere within these compactly-packed 13 minutes.

Most notable is the grunge-inclined title-track, a glorious rendition of three-chord ceremony, Dee Dee’s voice tall as can be amongst a thick backdrop of guitars. Not only is it Dum Dum Girls’ best song to date, it also manages to remove the heavy burden of adhering to a “lo-fi” aesthetic. The production is thorough, clear, and it suits perfectly.

This EP is almost immune to criticism, with the exception that the listener’s left yearning for just one more song. Challenge yourself to find a more satisfying, instantly likeable set of four tracks this year – because Dee Dee’s set the bar exceptionally high.