Dead To Me

Little Brother EP

[4/5]

Dead To Me’s 2006 debut, Cuban Ballerina, was just deviant enough to satisfy longtime fans of vocalist/guitarist Jack Dalrymple’s work with seminal ’90s punks One Man Army. This makes Little Brother, a too-short collection of five near-perfect rock ’n’ roll songs, the ideal follow-up. It further distances Dalrymple from his past musical work and defines Dead To Me as a totally unique project. This is driving, anthemic ’77-style pop-punk that hits all the right notes of Dillinger Four’s back catalogue, while avoiding the traps that so many Jawbreaker-loving bands fall into. Dead To Me have carved out a distinct sonic quality that allows them to stand out in a crowded genre; Dalrymple’s and bassist Chicken’s (also of Western Addiction) vocals could not be less affected, and the earnestness that oozes from every track is a rare, valuable commodity. (FAT WRECK CHORDS) Sam Sutherland