After
Aubrey O'Day and
Shannon Bex announced
Danity Kane's split in 2014, the duo went to work as
Dumblonde, an outlet for left-field dance-pop. They connected with a few rising producers and fellow songwriters, most prominently
Candice Pillay and
Dem Jointz, both of whom were major factors on
Dr. Dre's
Compton. The lyrical themes of
Dumblonde don't deviate much from those of
Danity Kane -- a not atypical assortment of verses that detail hooking up, escaping, falling in love, dealing with heartache, and so forth -- the range of sounds and production touches stand out. Just as importantly, the hooks are sharp and tend to come from unexpected angles. There are also moments where
O'Day and
Bex are treated more as additional instruments rather than as focal points, as on "Take Away" -- where their voices delightfully swirl through buzzing synthesizers, popping bass, flicking guitar, and strings seemingly inspired by
Soul II Soul. That highlight, along with the gleaming "Eyes on Horizon" and "Creamsicle," are among the year's finest dance-pop songs, regardless of commercial potential.
O'Day and
Bex sound like they're having a blast.