End of Daze

End of Daze has all the hallmarks of a placeholder EP, a couple tracks recorded as B-sides, a cover, and a couple of new songs. Placeholder it may be, but it's also one of the best recordings Dum Dum Girls have done to date. It expands their sound, delves into some new sonic textures, and cements Dee Dee's place as one of the more interesting and expressive vocalists around. The first two tracks ("Mine Tonight" and "I Got Nothing") were recorded just after the sessions for Only in Dreams finished. They have the same polished and almost slick sound, but a bit more energy and punch than anything on that album. "Mine Tonight" is the closest Dum Dum Girls have come to sounding like producer Sune Rose Wagner's band the Raveonettes, sharing their girl-group-in-a-whirlwind aesthetic. "I Got Nothing" is a stripped-back, raging rocker with nice dynamics that would have been a high point of Only in Dreams. The cover of Strawberry Switchblade's "Trees and Flowers" is magical, featuring Dee Dee's heartbreaking vocals and swirling shoegaze guitars that sound like they were lifted off a Pale Saints album. Of the two newer songs, the straightforward ballad "Lord Knows" has a very nice sing-along chorus and a familiar lyrical darkness, while "Season in Hell" is the EP's high point musically, adding a healthy dose of Echo & the Bunnymen-style atmosphere (and loud drums!) to the mix to go along with Dee Dee's dramatically pure vocals. The soaring chorus is the most open-hearted and optimistic-sounding music Dee Dee and Dum Dum Girls have committed to tape yet, and shows that sadness isn't the only emotion they can convey. ~ Tim Sendra