Electrified

“Wow! Dig the Valley Girl rock,” my wife interjected as she walked past the room where I was spinning the latest Dressy Bessy disc for the umpteenth time. And she nailed it. Electrified is indeed a furtherance of the ’60s-flavored, high-energy alterna-pop spun out in the ’80s by such grrrl-powered luminaries as Bonnie Hayes and the Wild Combo and Josie Cotton. Tammy Ealom, the brains (and looks) behind Dressy Bessy, writes punchy, guitar-based pop songs well integrated with her romantically skeptical lyrics and somewhat droll delivery. This album would be the perfect soundtrack for hanging out with your smart-aleck pals at the edge of a high school party making snide and funny comments about the action on the main floor. And it’s also a great dance record if you’re in the mood, with Ealom’s big out-front rhythm guitar providing the structure upon which bassist Rob Greene, drummer Craig Gilbert and second guitarist John Hill hang some ass-shakin’ party rock. Assessed as superior to Coldplay’s latest by NPR music critic Ken Tucker. Ya gotta love that.