{"id":37680,"date":"2014-02-20T21:17:36","date_gmt":"2014-02-21T02:17:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=37680"},"modified":"2014-02-20T21:19:23","modified_gmt":"2014-02-21T02:19:23","slug":"the-dollyrots-barefoot-pregnant-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2014\/the-dollyrots-barefoot-pregnant-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dollyrots | Barefoot & Pregnant<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\"TheIs there anything more punk than telling labels they can eat it, and then putting out two records in a row independently using Kickstarter and then PledgeMusic? Well, that\u2019s what the kick ass duo known as The Dollyrots have done with their last two releases, their self-titled 2012 release and their brand new CD, Barefoot & Pregnant<\/em>. (Note: Singer\/bassist Kelly Ogden was pregnant during the recording of the release but reports are unclear if she wore clogs, moon boots or anything on her feet during recording sessions.)<\/p>\n

Instead of building on their songwriting and branching out stylistically, like their did on their last release with mainstream songs like \u201cSouth of the Border,\u201d After 2012\u201d or \u201cTime Will Stop,\u201d it seems the duo wanted to go back in time to before their biggest hit \u201cBecause I\u2019m Awesome\u201d and just release a raw punk (but still pop) album. For those who saw the growth before and thought you could maybe portend some greater mainstream global attraction this time, you\u2019ll view this as a step back. But for those faithful who have been with them since the beginning, this is most likely exactly what you asked for. <\/p>\n

Kicking it off with \u201cCome and Get It,\u201d the noisy guitars from Cabezas are almost enveloped by the massive bass and rhythm section from Ogden and drummer Stacy Jones. There\u2019s a whole lot of thumping going on here, kids. What offsets this massive bottom end is the youthful vocal delivery of Ogden, who brings a snarky innocence to everything she sings. At just over two minutes, it\u2019s a drive by anthem. <\/p>\n

\u201cStupidly in Love\u201d is exactly what makes The Dollyrots so \u2026 well, awesome. While a simple construction, it\u2019s the chorus that has you bopping around like you are in a blitzkrieg. (Yes, that\u2019s called foreshadowing.) Also, if you are a huge fan of The Cars, this may remind you a bit of their hit \u201cYou Might Think.\u201d It\u2019s the groove during the verses that may make you harken back mentally to a more The Cars-y time. Easily could be a hit, like most of the songs on Barefoot & Pregnant<\/em>. <\/p>\n

By the time you reach \u201cFirst World Anarchist\u201d you realize that The Dollyrots are embracing that whole \u201cpunk\u201d thing and are blasting it to the world. Just using the word \u201canarchy\u201d in a song announces your punk intent. \u201cI drink my wine from a beer stein \u2026 I wear my shades in the nighttime,\u201d Ogden sings before the solo. OK, so they are having fun with the theme\u2014that\u2019s what makes The Dollyrots fun to the nth-degree. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of sort of \u201870s pop vibe going on with this release as well. Had they covered Alan O\u2019Day\u2019s \u201cUndercover Angel\u201d you could play it right before \u201cPuppy Dog Eyes\u201d and then you\u2019d say \u201cobviously.\u201d It seems that instead of writing contemporary pop songs, if they go pop, they go a few decades back … at least three or four anyway. Since they are known for covers like \u201cBrand New Key\u201d or \u201cBe My Baby,\u201d they\u2019ve already proven they excel at this and it makes them that much more \u2026 Dollyrots-y.<\/p>\n

The title track is a frenzied mess (in a good way) with Ogden almost speed-rapping her lyrics. While not the most musical composition it\u2019s one of their few songs you can actually bang your head too. It\u2019s hilarious, and with Ogden singing about all of her weird cravings while pregnant, it\u2019s autobiographical as well. <\/p>\n

Probably the one song that can compare with their more \u201cmature\u201d recordings like the aforementioned \u201cSouth of the Border\u201d is \u201cNightlight.\u201d Ogden has a way of singing with a yearning, with a sentiment of being bereft and she wants whatever she lost back. It just sounds authentic. While Ogden did not test her vocal tone or range as much as she did on their past release, this is certainly as close as you\u2019ll get. <\/p>\n

But really, who cares? They wrote \u201cWorstie!\u201d Known for their ability to point a musical middle finger at the unoriginal masses, like \u201cF U Famous,\u201d \u201cBecause I\u2019m Awesome,\u201d \u201cPretty on the Outside\u201d and plenty more, \u201cWorstie\u201d picks up the slack and pulls like mad. If you can listen to lyrics like \u201cYou were my bestie, until you messed with me \u2026 now you\u2019re my worstie!\u201d or the refrain \u201cFrom first, to worst\u201d without smiling, hopefully they write a song about you next time around. <\/p>\n

Ending the album with a cover of the The Crystals hit \u201cDa Doo Ron Ron\u201d\u2014which was also made famous by the teen heartthrob Shaun Cassidy in 1977\u2014and then flowing right into The Ramone\u2019s \u201cI Wanna Be Sedated\u201d is most likely the best way to end any album, ever. <\/p>\n

Barefoot & Pregnant<\/em> is a strong release for all of the above reasons, and when you start looking at this band\u2019s back catalog \u2026 it\u2019s starting to impress. Whatever the reason they decided to musically devolve a bit instead of continuing to evolve\u2014or go back to their roots instead of continuing to pen songs in the vein of \u201cTime Will Stop\u201d\u2014it\u2019s still a The Dollyrots album and they seem physically and mentally incapable of ever recording anything that isn\u2019t infinitely likeable. <\/p>\n

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

Band:
\nKelly Ogden: lead vocals, bass
\nLuis Cabezas: guitar, vocals
\nStacy Jones: drums<\/p>\n

Tracklisting:
\n1. “Come and Get It”
\n2. “Stupidly in Love”
\n3. “First World Anarchist”
\n4. “Get Weird”
\n5. “Puppy Dog Eyes”
\n6. “Barefoot and Pregnant”
\n7. “Bury Me in Ireland”
\n8. “Nightlight”
\n9. “Under the Same Sky”
\n10. “Worstie”
\n11. “Homecoming”
\n12. “Angel in the Snow”
\n13. “Da Doo Ron Ron-Sedated”<\/p>\n

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

Hardrock Haven rating: 7.9\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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