Dum Dum Girls
He Gets Me High EP
(Sub Pop)

Dum Dum Girls’ He Gets Me High is noticeably more polished than 2010’s I Will Be. Sweet and sincere lyrics in danger of being hidden behind a wall of fuzz guitar sound ring clear instead, giving listeners a chance to appreciate beautiful vocal layering and harmonies.

“Wrong Feels Right” opens with fast-paced rolling drums and surf rock guitars. As an opener, it hits almost as hard as “It Only Takes One Night.”

“He Gets Me High” is Shangri Las-like in its lyrical content and is centered around sugary sweet harmonies. A rumbling bass line gives a modern tinge to its otherwise vintage sound.

Slow jam, “Take Care of My Baby,” sounds cavernous and haunting with its soothing guitars and minimalist percussion. It features the achingly sweet and memorable lines, “take care of my baby/I don’t think he can do it himself” and “you lived so fast without seeing/this eternal youth is fleeting.”

The final track, a cover of The Smiths’ classic, “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” is likely to catch you off guard. A unique take on the original, it sounds surprisingly effortless and somehow even manages to evoke an atmosphere similar to the original.

He Gets Me High has a fair balance of sweetness and aggression and adds a much needed modern twist to the band’s predominantly vintage sound. Even the few naysayers who were disappointed by the lack of musical variation on Dum Dum Girls’ full-length debut, may be pleasantly surprised by this four-track EP.