I Will Be (Bonus Track Version)

With a wink and a nod to the Iggy Pop song “Dum Dum Boys” (and not to be confused with Norway’s Dumdum Boys) L.A.’s Dum Dum Girls began as the nom de plume of Kirstin Gundred (a.k.a. Dee Dee Penny), who began recording under the name in 2008. After becoming a four-piece band in 2009, they signed up with Sub Pop, and I Will Be is a convincingly solid debut performance. From the get go, “It Only Takes One Night” bursts out the gate, a speeded-up, reverb-soaked number evoking ‘60’s Ronettes. Other eras and styles are peppered throughout:  “I Will Be” has a great surf vibe with soulful, twangy guitar, and Gundred’s lovely, high-reaching vocals on “Bhang Bhang, I’m A Burnout” and “Jail La La” recall ‘90s bands like Lush and Black Tambourine. Working with seasoned producer Richard Gottehrer (Blondie, the Fleshtones, Raveonettes), Gundred and her band have created a beautifully balanced sound that puts layers of distortion and echo to work sculpting bubbly, danceable pop songs that are both weighty and ethereal.