Doll Skin - Manic Pixie Dream Girl album review

School Of Rock graduates’ shiny second shot

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Cover art for Doll Skin - Manic Pixie Dream Girl album

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After forming at the School Of Rock in their native Phoenix, Arizona (only in America!), teenage female punk-poppers Doll Skin were adopted by Megadeth’s Dave Elefson, who produced their 2015 album In Your Face (Again).

Their second doesn’t start promisingly, with Sydney Dolezal‘s vocal annoyingly autotuned on Shut Up (You Miss Me), stopping for the requisite snappy pause for its hook like a studio-sanitisedPop Idol hopeful. The album gets progressively better as the band’s personality fights against Evan Rodeniche’s overproduction, and Dolezal shows emotive potential on Sweet Pea.

Not the ‘second coming of the Runaways’, more a future generation gouging their name on the same flag.

Kris Needs
Kris Needs

Kris Needs is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. Previously secretary of the Mott The Hoople fan club, he became editor of ZigZag in 1977 and has written biographies of stars including Primal Scream, Joe Strummer and Keith Richards. He's also written for MOJO, Record Collector, Classic Rock, Prog, Electronic Sound, Vive Le Rock and Shindig!