Dine Alone/Alcopop! Records – 28 AUG 2020
Full force punk full of middle fingers and major fun
Having gained notoriety for their live sets being absolutely bananas, London's Dream Girls are following up their Dare to Care debut EP with their self-titled debut on Alcopop!/Dine Alone Records. The four-piece is made up of vocalist Janey Starling, guitarist Anya Pearson, Mimi Jasson on bass and rounded out by drummer Lucy Katz.
Dream Nails opens with a skit known as “Affirmations” stating “I am ready. I fear nothing and no one except the temptation to hold back.” That may sound like an exaggeration of the unmitigated defiance present throughout the LP, but the self-professed “punk witches” follow through on that promise with a raging soundtrack to modern womanhood. This is a musical pipe bomb, loaded with the chaos of riot-grrl, the fun of pop-punk and the in-your-face punch of London circa 1977 all with a modern twist to keep things fresh.
The aforementioned “Affirmations” kicks off the album before leading into the surf-rock inspired “Jillian.” The sassy and silly ode to the host of a workout show is cute and fun and a nice way to let the audience know that Dream Nails are not overly serious in nature while showcasing the musical chops of the backing instrumentation. The sense of humor is here to stay even if the next few tracks tackle more serious fare.
Next up we have another brief skit “Do You Want to Go to Work” where the quartet accept the reality that capitalism is important and showing up to work is necessary. The skit leads into “Corporate Realness” a searing reminder that you are more than just an employee number and your company has responsibilities to you and the community.
The quartet really turns it up to eleven on “Text Me Back (Chirpse Degree Burns)” a song about the uncertainty of love in modern times where ghosting happens and double texts are cardinal sins. The track is carried by its bass-heavy rhythm over fevered shouts about the suspicion fueled by the blue ticks in a text exchange.
Dream Nails include a brief anti-TERF statement before diving headlong into the explosive “Vagina Police 2.0” a missive aimed at protecting reproductive rights and addressing issues inherent in patriarchy. That track is followed up by the equally empowering “DIY.” In ten years, this could easily be credited for an explosion of female punk bands, reminding women they don't need anyone else to achieve their short or long-term goals.
Following the seriousness of those tracks, the band returns with another playful track, “Swimming Pool.” This cut could just as easily be featured in an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba or on the stage in a English pub, with its happy gang vocals, inclusive-lyrics, and rockabilly inspired melodies. The dreamy radio-friendly “This is the Summer” once again shows glimpses of the softer pop-sensibilities of the quartet without compromising themselves. Dream Nails closes out with “Kiss My Fist” the sonic street fight in response to intolerance and societal fear. Raging guitars and in your face vocals questioning men's hypocritical response to female sexuality.
This is an album that is a fun and fast romp at cursory glance, but the anger and issues it confronts provide a depth that will ricochet around your brain for days on end. Strong and full of passion, advocacy and fun; this LP has the potential to change the landscape, not only of punk or music, but society as a whole.
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed's musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he's self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
