The Dead Girls

The Dead Girls (nee Dead Girls Ruin Everything) rose from the ashes of local power-pop troupes Podstar and Ultimate Fakebook to form the metro’s catchiest supergroup. After five years together, there’s finally a full-length. On Out of Earshot, the Dead Girls defy the trendy lo-fi aesthetic of the moment and instead serve up a slick-sounding debut. That’s a compliment. A sea of distortion would have obscured every sweet riff, sick solo and perfectly placed vocal harmony. Though the band often aims for a sound that’s larger than life, a couple of downbeat numbers bow to Big Star and the Replacements. (The band has paid tribute to the latter in cover-band form.) The Dead Girls also show off an arena-rock jones (which they satisfied by opening for Kiss last year); the dual-guitar riffing that peppers Out of Earshot is undeniably inspired by Thin Lizzy. (The band wears its influences on its sleeve; sure enough, it has performed as a Thin Lizzy tribute band on more than one occasion as well.) If Out of Earshot sometimes pays too much tribute to the Dead Girls’ heroes rather than advancing a sound of its own, it’s still a pretty satisfying record.