Doll Skin hail from Phoenix, Arizona, and Manic Pixie Dream Girl is their third offering, following the In Your Face and In Your Face (Again) EPs of 2015 and 2016. Decibel Geek staff writer Bakko reviewed In Your Face shortly after it’s issue: In Your Face Review.
If you are unfamiliar with the band (shame on you) they consist of Sydney Dolezal on lead vocals, Alex Snowden on guitar, Nicole Rich on drums and Meghan Herring on bass. What you should also be aware of is that Sydney and Alex are only 17 years of age, Nicole is 19 and Meghan is the old stager of the band at 20.
Having 3 discs under your belt at such tender ages must mean that you know what you are doing and can perform to high standard, which Manic Pixie Dream Girl certainly proves.
Doll Skin are purveyors of high energy pop-punk but if you think it might all be a bit cotton candy you’ll be badly mistaken, they have a maturity in their songwriting and power in their playing.
For example, on the first song “Shut Up (You Miss Me)” Nicole Rich knocks the absolute hell out of her drum kit and doesn’t give up until the end of the record.
All the songs have a pop-punk affectation, with some more pop (“Shut Up (You Miss Me)”) and others more punk such as “Sunflower”. On top of that, we have straight up kick in the guts rockers like “Baby’s Breath”.
Alex Snowden plays a mean guitar throughout, with quality – if brief – solos, my personal highlight being the emotional break on the ballad, “Sweet Pea”.
Sydney Dolezal can also belt it out with the best of them, she provides power when required and tenderness when necessary.
If Katy Perry decided her future lay totally in rock then this is the music she would produce and the world would go mad for it. It’s about time the world went mad for Doll Skin.
Manic Pixie Dream Girl is available via EMP.
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