The Dollyrots describe themselves as “bubblegum punk.” I love it when a band manages to actually describe themselves in an accurate manner. Those two words sum up all that is the Dollyrots. They’ve got an edge to them, instrumentally, but vocally, singer/bassist Kelly Ogden resembles nothing so much as Kay Hanley crossed with that chick who sings for Melt Banana. Not so much in the speedy delivery, but the fact that you think she might be a little bit crazy- in a good way, of course.
If there wasn’t that nice encapsulation of “bubblegum punk” to describe the Dollyrots, then “coquettish” would work just as well. They strike me as a much more fun Tsunami Bomb, the sort of band you’d like to invite to sleep on your floor and play Scrabble.
But enough about their personality. Let’s talk music. “Jackie Chan” would make a great song to play back-to-back with Ash’s “Kung Fu.” It has that song’s same bouncy spirit. “Goodnight Tonight” hits the same sort of punk rock prom ballad territory as Tilt’s “Berkley Pier.” And Eat My Heart Out‘s single, “Kick Me to the Curb”, is the best “dump me before I dump you” song I’ve ever heard. The only complaint to be had is that, just once, it’d be nice to hear a punk song called “Dance With Me” that you could actually dance to.
Overall, though, the Dollyrots are set aside from most pop-punk bands in that they actually embrace their pop side, and acknowledge the fact that catchy songs aren’t necessarily a bad thing. The vocals are pure bubblegum, but the fact that the guitar and drum work of Luis Cabezas and Joshua Valenti is rougher and more rock than your average pop-punkers.