 The Dollyrots - www.thedollyrots.com
Because I'm Awesome (released 2007)
Blackheart Records - www.blackheart.com
So the story goes that at the Warped Tour The Dollyrots were rocking out with their brand of pop punk rock, and Joan Jett happened to catch their show and offered the band a slot on her Blackheart Records roster. The rest, as they say, is herstory. The Dollyrots have been blazing right along since that chance encounter with one of most famous women in rock. This disc, their first on Blackheart Records, features thirteen tracks of sickly sweet pop punk courtesy of Kelly O's tender vocals, Luis' ripping guitar and on this album anyway, Amy Wood's potent pounding of the skins. It should be noted that current drummer, Chris was not involved in the recording. I don't know why the transition between the two drummers, but these things happen. To build on it quickly, and then drop it, their is an added bonus of a couple of videos on this disc. One for the song "Out Of LA" and one of the band's trip to SXSW... In the latter, the previous drummer is shown on several occassions. Just pointing it out. So anyway, back to the disc... Listening to the disc as many times as I have, I think I have narrowed this down to the four best songs on the entire album. In fact, I think that there is a very clearly drawn line between the albums many tracks. The opening song "Because I'm Awesome" has solidly affirmed the band a spot within pop punk circles...it's a great song, very catchy, very clean (as evidenced by it's varied commericial uses). All in all a well rounded, very catchy and bouncy track. Next, up is "My Best Friend's Hot," a song about being girl #2 out of the bunch, but again very catchy, very fun and very much a solid track that the band is sure to garner many praises. The third track on the album, "Out Of LA" is the band's homage to getting out of town and heading out on tour. Pretty straight forward stuff, not too powerful, but it does show the band in a less energetic light and how they manage to write a good song throughout. Finally, of the four tracks that separate the album, is the cover of "Brand New Key". I have always enjoyed this song, I loved it when it was featured on the Boogie Nights soudntrack...but now I love it even more. Kelly O has taken this song to new heights! Her interpretation of "Brand New Key" as a rock song, instead of a 70s pop song is excellent. Don't get me wrong the rest of the band contributes to provide a thrashing and expeditious soundtrack to Kelly's vocals, but WOW! what a great cover. Following these four tracks the album takes a decidedly less than aggressively pop and bouncy turn. It's still po punk in the classic sense, but none of the remaining tracks really hits me like the first four have. It is more than clear that if The Dollyrots can continue to write great tracks like "Becauuse I'm Awesome" and "My Best Friend's Hot", they will be guaranteed commercial success, both as artists and as jingle writers. -MG |
