Only In Dreams

It's been only a year and a half since LA's Dum Dum Girls dropped I Will Be, a quick-moving collection of fuzz-heavy pop songs that sounded half riot-grrl punk, half girl-group worship. For a band that's released both Smiths and Rolling Stones covers (not to mention infamous live versions of GG Allin songs) the Dum Dums have always been more about sugary hook-laden pop than guitar rock aggression. But with frontwoman Kristen "Dee Dee" Gundred's steadily increasing vocal and songwriting talents, the quartet has shifted in a decidedly pop direction for Only In Dreams without missing a beat. Sticklers for lo-fi sound could cry foul over the relatively glossy production by Richard Gottehrer (Go-Go's, Blondie) and Raveonettes frontman Sune Rose Wagner, though hooky slabs of power-punk like "Always Looking" and "Heartbeat" are awfully difficult not to like. Matters do feel somewhat tame until Dee Dee does some serious soul-searching on "Coming Down," an existential, Sonic Youth-y, slowburner of a song that drives the band far deeper than one might have ever expected. Though not a clear superior to its predecessor, Dreams is a surefire attention-grabber that shows off this band's undeniable staying power. Headier than Best Coast and hookier than Vivian Girls, if the Dum Dum Girls want to continue releasing records at their current pace, well, then that's just fine.