Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff
It’s impossible to listen to Dummy while sitting still. On their sophomore album Free Energy, their groovy concoction of avant-pop and psychedelia commands some sort of movement, whether you’re confidently thumping down the sidewalk, outstretched and wriggling on a blanket in the park, or just swaying in your desk chair. Uptempo opener “Intro-UB” cruises into “Soonish…,” a track the band calls their first “real song” of the album, where misanthropic lyrics meander through skittish drums and blaring feedback in a playful nod to My Bloody Valentine.
After extensive touring for their 2021 sleeper hit, Mandatory Enjoyment, the members pressured themselves to go bigger, bolder, and dancier. While they created their debut album during pandemic-induced solitude, Free Energy reflects an ambitious touring schedule and personal evolution from a band that’s seldom creatively satisfied. Emma Maatman’s chilled, disaffected voice finds a home between sprightly layers of whimsical textures and effervescent synths.
Their kaleidoscopic interpretation of sticky pop keeps mutating and metastasizing. By borrowing a little bit from a vast spectrum of genres, Dummy ensures no two songs sound the same, from the inviting saxophone on “Opaline Bubbletear” to the dizzying propulsion of “Blue Dada” and the animated sound of popping bubbles on “Nullspace.” Standout track “Nine Clean Nails” races through the ether, underpinned by krautrock-inspired drums, a familiar character on Mandatory Enjoyment.
The album’s title references a thermodynamic concept whose definition I’ll surely get wrong, but you don’t have to be a physics expert to immerse yourself in Dummy’s immersive sound world that permeates down to the molecular level. They remain elusive and hypnotic, committed to creating a version of psych-rock that’s equally approachable and dazzling.
Disappointing / Average / Good / Great / Phenomenal
Free Energy is out now.
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Giliann Karon | @lethalrejection
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