Album Review

LA based Dummy dropped the psychedelic, rapturous, textural Free Energy in 2024, the groups second full-length album. The band consists of multi-instrumentalists Alex Ewell, Emma Maatman, Nathan O'Dell, and Joe Trainor.

This album is expansive, covering a vast sonic landscape of gauzy shoegaze and dreamy (and literally bubbly) pop. But despite the albums vastness it is still incredibly immersive. The record opens with 'Intro-UB' and preps your ears with a low key uptempo beat that transforms into the fuzzy guitars of 'Soonish...' a song that blends dance and rock together and is reminiscent of early 90's shoegaze bands.

One of the albums highlights is 'Opaline Bubbletear' a moody and contemplative instrumental with a spectral saxophone that flows seemlessly into the synthy 'Blue Dada'. It might be the greatest song transition ever, which makes sense given that the two songs were originally one single song but split later during recording. 'Blue Dada' is a dreamy ambient pop tune that kicks into hard driving noise pop dissonance. Closing out the album is 'Godspin' a beautiful piece of music that features a mesmerizing looped acoustic guitar (it sounds almost like a harpsichord) that slowly gives way to a compilation of field recordings, giving the listener the impression that the astral reverie is over and you're back on a city sidewalk.

Free Energy is an aural experience your ears need. The tracks are so layered and the band breezily walks the knifes edge of constantly shifting dynamics so there are new discoveries with every listen. Any listener looking for a chill sound or one interested in neo-psych blended with electronica will find something worthwhile here.