Dream Nails
DREAM NAILS DEBUT SELF-TITLED LP
London punk outfit Dream Nails unveils their self-titled album today via Dine Alone and Alcopop.
Dream Nails | Photo: Chloe Hashemi
Made up of Janey Starling (vocals), Anya Pearson (guitar), Mimi Jasson (bass), and Lucy Katz (drums), who refer to themselves as “feminist punk witches,” Dream Nails arrived in 2015, pumping out belligerent songs enveloping politics, DIY ethos, and equal rights for women.
Kerrang’s Jake Richardson describes the album, “Mixing tongue-in-cheek impishness with a more serious commentary on the failings of modern constructs and the anxieties that come with them, the debut album from London four-piece Dream Nails is a fierce and fun collection of spiky punk jams.”
It's a real full-length album, too; not one of those we’ll give them eight-tracks and call-it-a-day efforts – encompassing 14-tracks, beginning with a short skit, called “Affirmations,” serving up the band’s assertion: “I fear nothing and no one except the temptation to hold back.”
Entry points on the album include “Jillian,” opening on a throbbing, cavernous bassline rolling into a bubble-gum-pop-flavored punk melody full of surf rock echoes and bright, bubbly vocals. “Corporate Realness” discharges waves of riot grrrl punk riding growling guitars and Katz’s excellent drumming.
“Vagina Police” blends raw punk energy with hints of rock-a-billy textures. Hefty, dirty guitars give the tune surging muscle, followed by a tasty guitar solo.
“Swimming Pool’s” intro dishes out heady surf rock savors and then segues into a rumbling beat topped by retro ‘60s pop-rock breakers of sound. I love the dazzling guitar licks on the solo, infusing the tune with visceral incandescence.
“Payback” opens on a viciously rolling snare leading to darker colors full of ominous depth. The vocals on this track fuse searing venom with gang-like harmonies. “Kiss My Fist” begins on low-slung bass tones, followed by sporadic drum rolls. There’s a risky edge to this song, tight and punishing, as the lyrics deliver a scorching riposte to an infamous attack on a lesbian couple on a London bus.
With Dream Nails, the band pushes out Powerpuff girls-like punk momentum laced with tangs of riot-grrrl toughness allied with fun.
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