Posted on: March 27, 2012 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

The psychedelic style that starts off the Neon Life EP has a vibrancy and energy that will immediately ensnare listeners for the entirety of the release. Each element of Dashboard Madonna immediately gives it their all, creating a compelling and memorable track out of the gate. The vocals act as the perfect counterpoint to the instruments arranged here; Dead Men Tell No Tales is a perfect microcosm showing what is to come.

Starting From Scratch is an eclectic track that takes on a disparate set of influences, tying together Patti Smith and Sheryl Crow to Run-D.M.C.. The guitars, which took second fiddle on Dead Men Tell No Tales, are granted equal time with the bass line. Add in a quite punchy drum line, and one has the most memorable crossover track heard since Blondie’s Rapture. Up & Away has a bass line that elicits comparisons to funk and eighties-era Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The male vocals that are dominant during this track are bolstered with the inclusion of a second voice; Up & Away keeps the band’s momentum high as they move to the second half of this EP. Bond Girls is the penultimate track on Neon Life, and it marries together a shuffling disco beat with a much more electronic-feeling production. Dashboard Madonna are utterly confident in the styles that they show during Neon Life, and I believe that this will manifest itself perfectly in a longer release. Pick up a copy of the Neon Life EP whenever you get a few bucks, and make it a point to see Dashboard Madonna whenever they stop in your neck of the woods.

Top Tracks: Dead Men Tell No Tales, The Girl In The Polka Dot Dress

Rating: 8.6/10

Dashboard Madonna – Neon Life EP (CD) / 2012 Self / 6 Tracks / http://www.dashboardmadonna.com/

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