After half a dozen albums you’d expect these Swedish veterans to be good at this thing called Garage Pop and they don’t let anybody down on this meaty four-song EP. It’s catchy, rough-edged pop with twin-guitars.
Dee Rangers are firmly stuck in the 1980s but that’s a positive around these parts. Sweden, the US West Coast, the UK and Australia were all hot spots back for garage rock with distinct ‘60s overtones back then and this release reminds you as much.
Prime cut “I Want You” is straight out of Burbank with a surging organ line, gritty guitars and an impassioned vocal all hanging off a catchy hook. Pers Nystrom announces Utte Petterson’s lead-break with a howl before we’re dropped back into the chorus. Killer stuff.
The title track rattles and shakes with nagging guitars and a bouncy bass-line that befits the boy-girl-love lyrics. This one’s boxing in a lighter weight division but that’s not dismissing it as less substantial. It’s just fun.
“Cheap Thrills” on the flip charts a path through Yardbirds blueswailin’ territory, propelled by a walking bass-line and punctuated by sharp blues harp. “My Baby’s Gone” is the final song and (again) bristles with minor key pop smarts. There are no deep lyrical insights here, just teen heartbreak and a prominent organ line. DMZ mould be proud.
It’s a limited edition of 300 so get cracking.
