Dressy Bessy - Little Music: Singles 1997-2002 (2003)

Little Music collects singles and compilation tracks recorded between 1997 and 2002 by the perky indie pop group Dressy Bessy. Buoyed by Tammy Ealom's chirpy voice and unerring sense of melody, Dressy Bessy is one of the best groups currently operating in the indie pop field. The compilation includes their first single, a three-tracker including the fizzy "Fuzzy," the kicky "Ultra Vivid Color," and "Said You Would," which was released in 1997 by Little Dipper and reissued as part of the seven-track You Stand Here EP in 1998 by U.K. label Drugracer ("2 My Question" and "Princess" are taken from that EP). The other single included is 1998's "Sunny"/"I'm Never Wrong," released by Guitar Audio in Japan. There are four songs rescued from compilation limbo: 1999's "Lipstick" from Pink Hearts Yellow Moons, released by Philter in Japan, 2000's "Gloria Days" from Songs for a Crimson Eggtree, released by Earworm, 2000's "Instead" from the Kindercore Fifty comp, and the classic "All the Right Reasons" from 1999's Kindercore Christmas Two disc. Rounding out the track list are "Live to Tell All," the group's July 2000 contribution to the Kindercore Singles Club, and a previously unreleased demo of "Tidy," which was recorded in spring of 2002. There is not a weak song to be found on this disc, and it is a welcome addition to their discography. The only down side to the collection is that it didn't round up all their stray tracks. Still left uncollected are their super-cute contribution to The Powerpuff Girls: Heroes & Villains disc, "Bubbles," and the Toshiyuki Goto remixed version of "Extra Ordinary" from the Space Program compilation. Still, fans of the band will be simply thrilled to get ahold of the rarities that are included, and newcomers to the group will find it to be a good introduction to Dressy Bessy's featherweight and delightful brand of indie pop.