It is of the opinion of some people that bands with female lead singers aren’t all that great, with the exception of a few, like Heart, the Donnas and Fleetwood Mac. Now, this opinion may not necessarily be true, but it is hard to defend the opposing opinion that girl bands and women lead singers won’t sink a band, such in the case of Dressy Bessy.

Dressy Bessy’s “Holler and Stomp” sounds like it best caters to high school girls and sorority members who are trying to be edgy and rebellious. This becomes apparent with a first glance at the album cover with the kitten and flowers on the back cover and song titles like “Simple Girlz” and “Pretty Pleaze.” Maybe some of the songs will be featured on the next “Bratz” movie. Looking at the album art and listening to the music, you would think that this is an all girl band. In actuality, the band is made up of three guys and only one girl, the lead singer Tammy Ealom. The music, lyrics, style and album suggests that one of the men in the band is sleeping with the lead singer, because it is hard to believe that any self-respecting male would be a part of an album such as this one.

The sound of the album itself is very bright and cheery, with good beats that could be fun to dance to. There is a bit of punk thrown in there along with some indie rock and pop which gives way for a very confusing sound. The lyrics are very simple and short. In most songs they are repeated over and over again, which is okay, if this is the sort of thing that you are looking for. That is, if the sort of thing you are looking for is very mindless which you can tune out easily.

It also sounds like Dressy Bessy is trying so hard to fit into the musical scene and this could be the reasoning behind the fusion of different musical genres. There is one song on the album, called “Anyone Can See,” and this song sounds very indie rock and is really good. If Dressy Bessy picked one style and stuck with it, they could have some great potential.

The fusion of genres also makes the band sound like they are trying way too hard to be something that they are not. The music on this album doesn’t sound like it is coming from the band member’s heart and soul, but like they are basing their sound on what they think the people want, which leaves Dressy Bessy sounding fake.

If listening to a band that has very little substance in their song-writing and gives off the impression that they only know three chords is for you, pick up this album. If not, go listen to some Coldplay.

Sometimes bands sound best in certain environments, like your car or at a party. For instance, early Radiohead albums, like “The Bends”, complement being in your room or car on a rainy day. Dressy Bessy sound like they would be great live, and not in any old venue, but perhaps a dive bar or a sorority basement party.

Stephanie Dumm can be reached at [email protected]