Painted Doll (Dave Hill & Chris Reifert)

With Painted Doll, Valley Lodge front man Dave Hill and Autopsy‘s Chris Reifert have teamed up to create a really interesting, fun new album. Inspired by the pair’s love for British and Dutch psych, references are all over the map here, making for a really entertaining listen.

While listening to Painted Doll for the first time, my house guest and I each heard different things in it. I love albums that invite conversation such as this one does.“Together Alone” had me thinking Blue Oyster Cult while the weeping guitar of “Carousel” screams George Harrison. “She Talks to Mirrors” is a straight-up pop song what feels like it would have fit well in the early catalog of The Who. While “Down the Stairwell” is by no means reminiscent of The Ramones in treatment, there is something about its straight ahead punch that suggest to me that Joey would have loved to sing this one.

The title track stands out above all others. To my ears, “Painted Doll” is power pop, pure and simple. A looping, spiraling guitar creates a trance-like backdrop, setting you up for a killer hook of a chorus. “Painted Doll” would fit right in with Dave’s Valley Lodge persona.

Painted Doll is available on vinyl and CD through Tee Pee Records. Get the digital release through iTunes. And if you want a funny read, check out either of Dave’s books, Tasteful Nudes and Dave Hill Doesn’t live Here Any More.