Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be

C86 revivalism may have been done to death at this stage, but I Will Be is undeniably at the top end of the scale in the ongoing wave of copyism. Much like Vivian Girls’ debut, it’s a short, sharp blast of no-fi pop fun. The whole thing sounds like it was recorded inside a biscuit tin, with über-cool frontwoman Dee Dee Penny’s vocals recorded into a sieve. At its most visceral, it’s an ear-splitting howl of a record; and it’s all over and done with inside half an hour.

All too often this sort of thing tends to be described as having a ‘ramshackle charm’ - which can usually be taken as shorthand for having no decent tunes. Happily, though, that particular euphemism proves to be way off here, as addictive melodies tumble out of the speakers. Lo-fi it may be, but it doesn’t take long to unearth the killer hooks that lie beneath veteran '70s producer Richard Gottehrer’s valiant attempts to recreate the Wall Of Sound on a 50p budget. 'Bhang Bhang, I’m A Burnout', 'Lines Her Eyes' and 'Jail La La' are fireckracker pop songs, full of longing and 1950s sweetness. 'Oh Mein M' is sung in German, but it will take a few listens before you notice; either way, it’s fantastic. 'Everybody’s Out' concludes with Dee Dee singing "My baby’s better than you!" on repeat - think of it as a cheap 'n' cheerful update on Spector’s all-time classic, 'He’s a Rebel'.

It could all get a bit one-dimensional in less capable hands, but Dum Dum Girls wisely take their foot off the pedal at regular intervals, delivering the three best songs on the record in the process. 'Rest of Our Lives' has a tune to die for, while signing off with a cover of Sonny & Cher’s 'Baby Don’t Go' proves an inspired move: this stunning version simply aches with sadness. Best of all, though - and one of the pop songs of the year to boot - is 'Blank Girl', a duet with Dee Dee’s boyfriend Brandon Welchez of fellow twee-pop revivalists Crocodiles. "You’ve become a new creation / I don’t want to miss out on", he sings. You won’t want to either: I Will Be is the aural equivalent of mainlining fizzy sherbet to the brain through your eardrums.