It’s too bad the Dum Dum Girls haven’t come out with anything new since 2015’s Red Sun because they were working with a really unique sound. Their 2012 EP End of Daze encapsulated that variety.

The EP opener, “Mine Tonight”, has an excellent, shaky guitar line underneath Dee Dee’s robust vocals. The beginning is kind of ominous, too, especially with the droning drums. It so paints the image of a girl walking the tightrope line of an unhealthy relationship; when she sings about having “vacant eyes,” she sounds like it.

Then you’ve got the complete opposite style in “I Got Nothing” because the drums are almost bouncy. Dee Dee has got nothing left to say but she kind of sounds…happy about it? Although the chorus has a similar crunchy feedback to “Mine Tonight”, it totally fades out when Dee Dee starts singing that “unto the day [she gives] up her voice” all she wants is to shine. It’s almost like she wants that message to really be heard.

“Trees and Flowers” is not my favorite song from the EP. Aesthetically I get a flower crown ’60s girl vibe. That’s especially clear when, at the beginning, Dee Dee says that she hates the trees and flowers. Her voice here sounds similar to Grace Slick’s in “Go Ask Alice.” It’s also a sad song in a creepy kind of way that I can’t fully identify. (Of course, if you’ve spent any amount of time on this blog, you know I like sad songs. But still.)

My favorite song is “Lord Knows.” It got a lot of replay back in college and so there’s probably some nostalgia factor there. I just love the solidness of the drums. The lyrics are great, too: “a slow burning of Icarus” describes a fading relationship. Later, though, Dee Dee says that there’s “a sanctuary in his kiss.” (Could that be the same kisser from “Mine Tonight”?)

“Season in Hell” closes out the EP. It’s got the brisk drum beat and echoing guitar that’s reminiscent of the ’60s surf sound. No wonder it shows up on my “Summertime Jamz” playlist! There’s also a perfect title drop at the end of the song: “Lift your gaze/it’s the end of daze.” Those lyrics almost get lost in the blistering-feedback-laden end of the song but they fit so perfectly there as a result.

I’m glad I decided to revisit this album. It’s a great little gem.