Dollar Signs, the Charlotte based folk-punk powerhouse, have released a short but very sweet EP of re-recorded tracks from their early days. I Need Some Space, released on January 18th, 2019, is only four tracks long, coming in at a tight less than 10 minutes, but is a little something anyone who hasn’t heard the band before should dive into.
Dollar Signs always bring this lively, humorous, and often painfully relatable energy and with I Need Some Space they just keep killing it. A mixture of pop-punk, the fun of ska, the melancholy of emo, all set to a depressive backdrop masked with a partying atmosphere. In a sonic sense Dollar Signs bring a pleasing sound, bringing new life to these old tracks. It’s hard not to bounce along to each and every track, even the slower more downbeat tracks have a decidedly Dollar Signs rhythm to them that makes them addictive.
It’s only four tracks, less than 10 minutes in all, but it’s a great way to dip a foot into Dollar Signs’ extended catalogue and check out some rad tunes from their earlier days. Whilst it’s only a new coat of paint to older tracks, it’s still good fun, and after the brilliance of their latest album This Will Haunt Me, going back to their earlier days to show they’ve always had a special something is a great feeling. The opening track, “Endless Bummer,” comes from an album of the same name released in 2012, which is perfectly within the era this EP takes place in.
The method of storytelling, literal representations mixed with harsh metaphor, and consistent references to drinking gives off a bit of a Wil Wagner/The Smith Street Band vibe. Though even with the connection, Dollar Signs have their own style, and manage to talk about relatively ridiculous events and use rather strange choices of words whilst still maintaining a very real and emotional vibe. “It’s not my party, but do you guys gotta do coke off the TV?” on “2011,” “That was the Summer, when I first got rocky mountain spotted fever,” on “Endless Bummer,” almost awkward lines with an almost awkward delivery which just add to the charm and appeal of the band.
With the leaps and bounds the band has taken over the year, and the growth the band’s music has undergone, it’s great to hear them up-scaling their old tracks. There are of course a few tracks I think would’ve fit perfectly on this little release and been an amazing experience to hear re-done from their past, such as “Come On Eileen, Seriously,” “Hikikomori,” or even “The Pizza Man Cometh,” but the four collected here are also perfect choices.
I Need Some Space is a delightful EP detailing the past of a delightful band. With last year marking the release of what could be Dollar Signs’ greatest album, revisiting some deeper cuts is a good refresher on their journey forward. You can listen to the EP below.