Say buh-bye to the Tender Trap of yore. Not only have mainstays Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey kicked up a spankin’ new girl-group vibe for this third release, but they’ve also added Elizabeth Morris (Allo Darlin’) and Katrina Dixon–all the better for harmonic ba-ba-ba’s and sha-la-la’s.
Think Vaselines meets Rondelles meets Velvet Underground; Dansette Dansette is a superb combo of riot grrrl, jangle pop, and straight-up ’60s psych. And though tracks like “Suddenly” and “Girls With Guns” fuzz out with superdirty guitars and sugary vocals, Tender Trap ain’t a one-trick pony. “Do You Want a Boyfriend” is nothing but C86-era twee, and “2 to the N” mixes it up with a menacing melody and dark whistle solo. Fletcher probably didn’t mean to school all the newcomers (hello, Pains of Being Pure at Heart), but she totally has; Dansette Dansette is Tender Trap’s most honest and amazing album to date.
