Dummy make something memorable with “Free Energy”

Dummy are back with their sophomore effort, Free Energy, out now on Trouble In Mind Records. The Los Angeles band have developed what one might call a cult following in recent years, always on the lips of those in the know due to their myriad of styles and sounds – noise pop, psychedelia, ambient – you name it. On Free Energy, Dummy continue to blend influences together with a deft touch and feel. On the whole, it’s a record that simply oozes class and one that any modern rock band would love to have as a part of their discography.

Free Energy starts with a wall of sound that carries a cathartic undertow and is at once both spacious and immediate; you’re already wondering, just a few seconds in, where things are going to go. And they go somewhere euphoric right away, as “Intro” transforms into a banging beat that will get you moving while losing none of its emotional pull. Warped vocals layer on top of each other to create a feel of mystery and momentum, like somebody calling to you in fragments from beyond the haze of the dancefloor. “Soonish” starts out sounding very abrasive and industrial; the sheer volume of the screeching (in the best way) guitars is reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine, and one wonders if the song title “Soonish” is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to MBV’s legendary Loveless track “Soon”; the vocals have an irreplicable longing to them that makes it feel like something real is on the table, and singer Emma Maatman’s vocal even sounds a bit like Bilinda Butcher.

Throughout the record, Dummy touch on a lot of really cool influences. I can hear elements of shoegaze, industrial, dance, among many others. Dummy blend these influences really well. “Unshaped Road” has a bit of a Cocteau Twins dream pop vibe. A lot of bands are trying to do the MBV, Cocteau Twins adjacent stuff, but Dummy actually have the chops and sounds to pull it off, which they do brilliantly. Emma Maatman’s voice is Dummy’s real trump card though, and it’s her voice that gives the tracks on Free Energy (even the one where she doesn’t handle lead vocals) their mystery and appeal. 

Throughout Free Energy, you get the sense that Dummy have totally opened up their sonic palettes, and the tracks themselves feel like worlds to get lost in. It’s a record that leaves you wondering how far they can take it on the next try. Any sort of limitations have been lifted and the results are a record that is bold, big, mysterious, banging, and memorable. I’m already looking forward to what Dummy will get up to next.