The Dollyrots formed in the year 2000 when childhood friends Kelly Ogden and Luis Cabezas decided “the worlds going to end anyway, so lets just do the band”. They’ve released three albums since then as well as some EP’s and a split with Bowling for Soup and with this their fourth album, the bands bubblegum pop style of punk remains largely unchanged.

Released on their own record label Arrested Youth, you have to have some respect them for going it alone and putting this out themselves. The record starts with ‘Starting Over’ and as this was my first exposure to The Dollyrots I thought it sounded promising, however by track five the irritating ‘Twist Me To The Left’ any charm the band had for me had rubbed off. The record chugs along thereafter, thankfully the songs aren’t too long. The record ends with ’Starting Over Again’ which is actually quite good. However, a good start and end doesn’t make up for the majority of the record unfortunately.

It’s just too sweet for me, but I’d hazard a guess that I’m not the bands target audience. I think some tracks would be perfectly fitting in a movie aimed at teenage girls, or in the background of a Haribo advert. As such the band will probably find some fame if the right person hears it and it’s given to this demographic.

It’s not going to change the world, and in my opinion the best female-fronted punk record of the year is staying with Hop Along. This was just too annoying and sugary sweet and eventually became just plain sickly. Awful.

2/5

‘The Dollyrots’ by The Dollyrots is available now on Arrested Youth Records.

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Words by Ryan Clayton