Dead Blonde Girlfriend - Letters Home (No One Son Music/bmi) - Album Review

Dead Blonde Girlfriend
Letters Home
(No One Son Music/bmi)

Beneath the splash and splutter of The Strokes, Interpol and The Killers; all New Yorkers who are bigger than McDonalds, lurks a sub-scene that is deep, intriguing and earnest, as well as one that has boundless possibilities and isn’t confined to a single sound. Some call this scene anti-folk and it has boosted proud exponents such as The Moldy Peaches2000, Major Mat Mason, Pre-war Yardsale and Jeffrey Lewis, yet what exactly this entails is still largely unknown.It all sprung out of the New York underground scene like startled rats in

a sewer explosion; noticing there might be something worthwhile out there. This why Dead Blonde Girlfriend fits neatly into this scene and are likely to emerge as mainstays of a thriving sub-scene.

Combining the fuzzy guitars of new wave, the rustic and friendly vocals oft seen in the folk genre and most importantly firing deep, witty and dark punk style lyrics reminiscent of the late great Joe Strummer, Dead Blonde Girlfriend eclectically quench diverse musical thirsts. Opener; ‘Merry Go Round’ is a buzzing pearl kicking off eight tracks combingmodern attitude and music. This number commences with a snappy Brit-pop styled intro, prior to Joie’s laid back folk allowing Mark E Smith to sit on it’s knee vocals that deliver defiant lyricsquestioning the merits of existence without love;

“You walk around telling everybody you’ve been clipped;

Surviving is just like dieing when you love the one you miss.”

The darkest and most poignant number on this lacerating offering that dissects the topic of loneliness and the power of love (especially when you don’t possess it) is ‘February 14’. The plight of a lacklustre jilted lover who explores all the ways of coming to an untimely end on Valentines Day, in the hope that the object of his desire will discover his body on that very day is delivered in a brusk manner associated with the anti-folk scene. This powerful piece of emotion ladenmusic comes to a polished end the Simon & Garfunkel sprinkled with a hint of The Byrds offering ‘As Love’. However, there is little respite from the bleak subject matter as the prospect of love hanging itself is raised. It isakin to being handed a crude bloody heart wrapped in the prettiest pink wrapping paper with cupid posing proactively all over it. Deep stuff; dive in and enjoy the depth.

www.deadblondegirlfriend.com

www.joiedbg.com

David Adair