Ok Shine Ok

Although she slightly narrows the eclectic range of influences exhibited over the years by colorful Elephant 6 affiliate Dressy Bessy, fans of the long-running band wont want to miss the solo debut of their leader, Tammy Ealom, now operating under the moniker the Tammy Shine. Landing on a freewheeling indie pop injected with the spirits of strutting glam, punk, and outsiders in general, the 12-track OK Shine OK was written, recorded, and mixed entirely by Ealom, who also D.I.Y.d the artwork, and promotional material like music videos and portrait photography. The resulting album sounds like it was all a lot of fun as she kicks things off with the clap-along tune "Shaky Shaky" and the spoken sentiment "Hey, its springtime, lets go." The hooky riffs, hip-shaking rhythms, and dance-inspiring tempos rarely let up thereafter. The energy even picks up on tracks like the spookier, synth-buffed "Baby Ill Be There"; the prancing, memory-triggering "Junk Mail" ("Cause its fan mail/She cant quit it/For a hot minute"); and the fuzzy, organ-bolstered "Auto Pilot," whose howling chorus provides one of the albums strongest earworms. Also making this list is the grinding "Speed Date," a punkier entry whose lyrics include "Its just another song/its just a diddy bop." OK Shine OK does take a breather around the midway point, with the confrontational interlude "Not Today" and the borderline ballad "Blue Jay" cutting down on the rowdiness without tempering emotions. On average, though, OK Shine OK is upbeat, catchy, and feels unrestrained, even while maintaining a lyrical tone that balances the saucy and resilient with the candidly relatable. ~ Marcy Donelson