Girl at the Rock Shows

‘Trying Some Stuff EP’ from Dumbfox is not a new release. In fact, it came out in 2020 and has been sitting on my desk ever since. I hate that about me. I get into this headspace where all I want to do is write, but more often than not, it feels more daunting than enjoyable, so I put it off. I warn people that if they send me their music, it may take some time. Although I never meant for it to take years, it’s just what happens; such is the case with this EP from Dumbfox. The band recently reached back out to me about reviewing this album, and something about looking at the album cover just spoke to me, so let’s finally peel the plastic off of this one and see what ‘Trying Some Stuff EP’ from Dumbfox is all about.

‘Trying Some Stuff EP’ opens up with “I’m in Love with a Girl.” This is a cover of the iconic Big Star song, and you catch onto that right away, but I love what Dumbfox has done with the track. Although the opening line and guitar lick are just like the original, it doesn’t take long for Dumbfox’s sound to take things over and take this song into a whole new world. It’s amped up, it’s rockin’, it’s infectious, and it’s perfect. It’s as if Big Star had gone the punk route rather than the route they actually ended up going (which, if you ask me, is almost alt-country, but I honestly don’t know much about Big Star, so I digress). I love how Dumbfox opens with this because it instantly made me relate to this album, but also showed what may be coming with the rest of this six-song EP.

Second on this EP is “Ferris Bueller.” At just under four minutes, this is the long song on the album, and it really allows you to get a taste of everything Dumbfox has to offer. It’s gritty yet clean. Energetic yet heartfelt. There’s definitely a pop-punk element to this song, but there’s also an almost hip-hop styled beat mixed with electronic indie pop tones and an almost Tom DeLonge styled vocal. It’s all over the place, and all of the areas that this song goes to are places I want to live. The lyrics are super simplistic if I’m being quite honest. “Why can’t I be Ferris Bueller, Bueller, Bueller” repeats over and over again before the song crashes into a bright chorus that continues to let those words circle around. Again, super simple, but there’s something about this song that hooked me. I mean, come on, he’s the sausage king of Chicago, who wouldn’t want to be him? Just like Ferris Bueller was clearly the coolest kid at Shermer High School, “Ferris Bueller” from Dumbfox is one of the coolest songs I’ve heard in a hot minute.

Just when I thought I had Dumbfox’s sound pegged as being this super fun and neon-feeling indie pop, they hit me with “Prissy,” which seems to take a slight turn. Don’t get me wrong, “Prissy” is just as fun and infectious as “Ferris Bueller,” but the focus seems to be more on a Strokes-like indie pop vibe. You still get sparkles of that electronic tone that seemed to reign supreme throughout the second track on this album, but they just feel a bit more sparse, almost more reserved in a way, allowing you to see that this band isn’t just all sunshines and rainbows; there’s depth, emotion, and feeling behind Dumbfox.

“By the Pool” isn’t the most polished song on this album. Honestly, the vocals that kick it off feel almost too rough for them to fit, but as this song progresses, you realize that this is the kind of track that showcases the fun that this band can have. Dumbfox is clearly a band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously, and this song proves it. A song like this is my personal nightmare. I love it, but know that it’s not “traditionally good.” With that in mind, I’m going to forge ahead on this release and just say that, although not the most commercially acceptable track on this album, “By the Pool” will surely bring a smile to your face, so don’t skip it.

I love how “Why Now” seems to take that raw grit that is showcased in “By the Pool” and uses it to showcase a more sensitive side of Dumbfox. This song is straight out of an indie flick. It’s iconic and anthemic, but it’s slow and steady with folksy roots and emotionally drenched lyrics. It’s another simple song that, under two minutes long, really flies by, but I love how this song continues to show you one of the many sides that make Dumbfox the super brilliant shape-shifting band that they are.

You thought “Why Now” was short? “Lost Cause” is even shorter, but truthfully, it was one of my favorites on this album. A more hip-hop styled track, I instantly found myself falling in love with every word as they flew by. The instrumentation throughout this song is simple and honestly something that sounds straight off of a Casio keyboard, but I love the way that lets the vocals take control and really drive this song ahead. Yet another side of Dumbfox coming to life, it’s at this point in this album that I realize that this is one of those bands that truly refuses to be put into a box, and I love that about them.

I hate the fact that it took me so long to check out ‘Trying Some Stuff EP’ from Dumbfox. It’s a brilliant piece of art that I would have surely been jamming day in, day out, for years had I just taken the time to check it out. Better late than never, I suppose! From what I found, this is still Dumbfox’s only album out there right now. Maybe their sending me a gentle nudge about checking this out is because they are ramping up for something new. Maybe that’s not the case. All I know is that a girl can dream!

Dumbfox on Instagram

Shameless Self Promotion:

Join My Patreon Here!

Buy Me a Coffee (Seriously!)

Check out my playlist with this track and a bunch of other amazing tracks HERE!