{"id":23205,"date":"2012-10-25T06:19:42","date_gmt":"2012-10-25T11:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=23205"},"modified":"2013-02-05T16:31:07","modified_gmt":"2013-02-05T21:31:07","slug":"the-dollyrots-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2012\/the-dollyrots-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dollyrots | The Dollyrots<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Derric Miller<\/span>
\n– Managing Editor —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"TheAfter The Dollyrots third studio album, A Little Messed Up<\/em>, things seemingly got a little messed up. Drummer Chris Black left the band, and they decided to forgo releasing another album on Joan Jett\u2019s Blackheart Records. Instead, the uber-grounded and hyper-accessible band took the DIY approach and used Kickstarter to create a funding mechanism for their fourth studio release. When your goal is $7,500 and you nail it at over $33,000 \u2026 you have an extremely supportive fan base who is addicted to your music.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to deconstruct the album lyrically, which begins with \u201cStarting Over\u201d and ends with \u201cStarting Over Again,\u201d to get a feel that the band has turned the page on the novel of their past and are scribing the novel that takes them into the future. \u201cI Wanna Go\u201d is the first full track, and it\u2019s sheer pop candy, anthemic and of course, with lyrics like \u201cWhat doesn\u2019t kill you makes you stronger,\u201d you can get a feel that The Dollyrots are steeled to take on all new obstacles. None of this would matter if the bubbly, hooky and danceable music was boring or trite. But it\u2019s not. Singer\/bassist Kelly Ogden continues to build upon her strengths as a vocalist, belting out the chorus while softly whisper-singing the bridge, and it\u2019s clear that Ogden and guitarist Luis Cabezas make a stellar songwriting machine.<\/p>\n

One of the catchiest choruses you\u2019ll feel is on \u201cHyperactive,\u201d and there\u2019s a reason they chose this as their first single and video. Sure, there\u2019s the lines you expect like \u201cIt\u2019s your duty to shake your bootie, to be fantastic and kind of tragic,\u201d but it\u2019s the absurdly simply and effective chorus that is really \u201cWe are we are, like animals, oh wow \u2026\u201d that proves The Dollyrots could sink a hook into the silver lining of a thundercloud without even trying.<\/p>\n

You will feel a bit more \u2026 mature \u2026 take on the songs as well. For instance, you\u2019ll hear the word \u201cmoody\u201d several times throughout the album, as with the track \u201cSatellite.\u201d This spacy, poignant composition just emotes growth from a songwriting perspective, especially during the chorus with \u201cIt was cloudy, you were moody, not a star in sight so we wished on a satellite.\u201d You get a \u201cbereft\u201d feeling from those types of sentiments, and it makes for mesmerizing music.<\/p>\n

Nothing wrong with finger-snapping foot-stomping tracks, and the rap-ish \u201cTwist Me to the Left\u201d is well, a hyperactive take on the band\u2019s journey around the U.S. and the world. With goofy, playful lyrics, this should be a hit for the band as well.<\/p>\n

But then they pull the hula-hoop off your neck and come at you with \u201cTime Will Stop\u201d next. Like \u201cSatellite,\u201d this is one of Ogden\u2019s strongest vocal moments, perhaps ever. It\u2019s a love song, a tale of lovers 50 years down the road, running into the ocean together, full of hope and somehow, wanting to be together forever. Perchance one of the songwriting duo has found true love, because it\u2019s certainly popping up in the songwriting \u2026<\/p>\n

The Dollyrots obviously are not affected by or enamoured with fame, or riches, or judging people based on their bank account or even physical characteristics. If you don\u2019t get it, listen to \u201cF U Famous\u201d and it\u2019ll all crystallize before your ears.<\/p>\n

Known for their snarky and brilliant \u201cBecause I\u2019m Awesome,\u201d they followed up on A Little Messed Up<\/em> with another biting and inviting song \u201cBig Mouth.\u201d You will be looking for that obvious offspring once you hear the self-titled album, and the closest is probably \u201cPretty On the Outside.\u201d This is the Ogden most have come to know, with her melodic ability to surgically strike on the great soulless masses of Hollywood and the elite with an edgy lyrical diatribe, spitting lyrics like \u201cNever eats right, but she\u2019s skinny,\u201d and the chorus of \u201cIf she swallows her make-up, will it make her pretty on the inside?\u201d it may be the track most fans glom on to.<\/p>\n

But \u2026 if you want something new from The Dollyrots, then \u201cSouth of the Border\u201d is an excellent example. It\u2019s almost like Chris Isaak and Cheryl Crow wrote a song for the band. It has a certain Caribbean flare, and except for maybe the chorus, you cannot paint this into the Pop Punk corner. After hearing the album a few times, it\u2019s the standout song based on uniqueness alone.<\/p>\n

Do you want to see the end of the world with The Dollyrots? \u201c2012\u201d is that song, written about the \u201cimpending\u201d Mayan calendar doomsday date. This is not typical topical songwriting matter for The Dollyrots, but hey, start living or start dying, and as this track bleeds into \u201cStarting Over Again\u201d and the whole thing comes full circle with the words \u201cDoesn\u2019t matter, start it over again!\u201d you\u2019ll know where The Dollyrots stand.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s almost like someone gave The Dollyrots the perfect formula to propel their career onward and upward. Keep the fans that got you this far, write enough atypical music to gain the interest of new listeners, and above all \u2026 be authentic, be yourself, and love what you do. It\u2019s all there, and a hell of a lot more, if you take a listen.<\/p>\n

Genre: Rock, Pop Punk<\/p>\n

Band:
\nKelly Ogden \u2014 bass\/vocals
\nLuis Cabezas \u2014 guitars<\/p>\n

Track listing:
\n1 Starting Over
\n2 I Wanna Go
\n3 Hyperactive
\n4 Satellite
\n5 Twist Me To The Left
\n6 Time Will Stop
\n7 So Wrong It’s Right
\n8 F U Famous
\n9 Pretty On the Outside
\n10 South of the Border
\n11 After 2012
\n12 Starting Over Again
\n(Hidden) Because I’m Awesome 2012<\/p>\n

Label: Arrested Youth Records<\/p>\n

Online: www.thedollyrots.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.6\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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