Dublin based DC Dolls Debut EP ‘Into the Empty Blue’
By Into the Empty Blue EP Review
The Dublin based DC Dolls recently released their debut EP ‘Into the Empty Blue’, this all-girl group gained some well-earned exposure when they played Electric Picnic, 2023 after winning a battle of the band’s competition.
Produced and mixed by Ellen Beamish @this.is.ellen, the EP is a collection of 4 tracks that the girls themselves describe were written about various topics, ranging from influential feminist figures to the aggravation of being catcalled while walking down the street.
“Countess” the opener simply jumps off this EP, with its punchy fast guitar and at times almost haunting vocals, it’s a song that has you hurtling through life while taking all the knocks yet somehow staying strong. If you’re not moving some part of your body to this track when listening then you probably should take up knitting instead, because this one will blow your slippers off.
“Alice Blue” opens with some heavy bass before the drums and solid vocals take over, the only way I can describe this is, it feels like a runaway train, just when you think its going to stop and you can get off the chorus kicks in and off you go again.
With the third track “Sea of Ghosts” the DC Dolls give us a little breather or so you think, the booming base and drum cymbals create a feeling of dark seas with crashing waves lulling you into feeling that this must be the slow track on the EP. Instead it throws you around like a rag doll before it eases once again to a calm. It’s mood feels much darker than the first two and for me not as enjoyable.
“Don’t Tell Me To Smile” is the last track and has a much more even balance to it, with compelling guitar and vocals but from the moment you hear smile love, it’s angry, it’s powerful, it’s a statement!
Into the Empty Blue is a great debut release, the production and mixing are spot on giving an overall rawness to the tracks, with such dominant vocals, the guitar bass and drums have to be strong enough to compete which they do, and then some, creating the DC Dolls unique sound which to me comes across as progressive punk.
While all the songs on the EP are good “Countess” is a standout.
“Into the Empty Blue” is more than worth a listen and can be found at the following; Spotify
Band Members
Vi (lead vocals), Abi (lead guitar and supporting vocals), Sue (bassist), and Tracy (drummer)