The Dollyrots A Little Messed Up
by Derric Miller
Staff Writer
The coolest t-shirt you should be able to purchase soon will read “Kissy Kissy Stabby Stabby!” and that’s all thanks to the song “Big Mouth” from The Dollyrots third studio album, A Little Messed Up. This Hard Rock/Pop Punk trio, who found fame with their uber-catchy hit “Because I’m Awesome,” worked with outside songwriters and producers on this go-round, including Matt Wallace (Replacements, Faith No More), Evan Frankfort (The Distillers, The Bangles), Fred Archambault (Avenged Sevenfold), and Sylvia Massy (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool). The result is an album that delivers a tad more grit at times, and is both heavier and mellower than anything they’ve created before. It’s also really damn good.
“This is not rock and roll, it’s rock control!” sings Kelly Ogden, as the first track opens with the song’s chorus. “Rock Control” is quirky, and chugs with a heavy duty bottom end. Simple, hooky, catchy as all get out and propelled by Ogden’s quasi-innocent vocal style, this is one of the biggest anthems on A Little Messed Up, and it’s only song one.
“Some Girls” features what The Dollyrots do best, and that’s write choruses that are etched into your brain, never to be erased. “Some girls will, some girls wanna, some girls might, but some girls are gonna … but I don’t wanna know what your kisses taste like!” Now, it’s not the most macho song you will ever sing along with, but The Dollyrots aren’t Danzig (although they should totally cover a Danzig song next time around).
Slowing things down just a bit, the song “Rollercoaster” is Ogden truly singing. Not that she isn’t “singing” truly every other song, but it’s a little more complicated, airy and softer than you are used to hearing from her … and she nails it. While a heavier, straight ahead song is what you expect them to release as a single, this one oozes potential.
In an interview with Hardrock Haven, Ogden said the band picked the song “A Little Messed Up” as the title track because it is symbolic of the band’s newfound attitude—namely, yeah, it’s OK to be different, to be considered strange, and to own it. It’s a great title, but not one of the best tracks on the album.
So what IS the best song? That’s “Big Mouth,” and it’s not even close. Played at a breakneck speed, with burning rhythms and snarky vocals, when Ogden sings, “Kissy kissy to my face, stabby stabby on the case, that girl’s got a big mouth!” you will literally be banging your damn head. If they can write a song as catchy as “Because I’m Awesome,” they did it here. The breakdown after the guitar solo, the wild groaning shout during the guitar solo, the sheer energy just peaks your anger and forces you to yell along with the band. As noted earlier, it also makes for the best t-shirt since “I’m like a chocoholic, but for booze.”
The band certainly took chances this time around. Check out the shriek at the opening of “Coming After You.” It’s unexpected, and perfect. Albeit somewhat goofy during the chorus, with lines like “let’s go boom boom in the bedroom,” it owns a noisy credibility that is far less antiseptic than what you’ve heard from the band before. Meaning, it’s dirty, in a great way.
If you remember the song “Dumb” from the California Beach Boy EP, it sounds an awful lot like “Just Like Chocolate” musically. In fact, more than a lot. And keeping on that whole “yummy” vibe, the album ends with “Om Nom Nom,” another ode to loving or craving someone so much you could “just eat them.”
The Dollyrots also add two incredible bonus tracks if you pick up the right edition. Their cover of “Happy Together” is strong, but holy macaroni do you need to hear “Dream Lover.” In fact, although they clearly have eight or so other songs that could be a hit, it’s wild to imagine how big this cover could become for the band. The song, in its origin, is played innocently, but there’s a palpable sultriness to the way Ogden croons this version.
Some might fear that a band playing this style of music and being a three-piece has less potential for growth. Those fears can be now be set aflame and buried. A Little Messed Up proves The Dollyrots are evolving musically, while staying true to their roots. They are improving as songwriters, musicians, and clearly, Ogden’s vocals are superior to where they were five years ago. Overall, The Dollyrots have the potential to be one of America’s next big Rock bands … now let’s see if they can live up to that potential.
Band:
Kelly Ogden—lead vocals, bass
Luis Cabezas—guitar, backing vocals
Chris Black—drums
Track listing:
1. Rock Control
2. Some Girls
3. California Beach Boy
4. Rollercoaster
5. My Heart Explodes
6. A Little Messed Up
7. Pour Tous Jours
8. Big Mouth
9. California
10. Coming After You
11. Let’s Be In Love
12. Just Like Chocolate
13. Om Nom Nom
Bonus tracks:
14. Happy Together
15. Dream Lover
Genre: Rock
Online: www.myspace.com/thedollyrots
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.3/10