Fefe Dobson — Sunday Love (Album Review)
Fefe Dobson got her big break in her early teens, getting signed to Jive Records. At the time, Jive wanted to brand her as the next big pop act, what she would call “Brandy Spears”. Dobson wanted to make pop rock music, being inspired by bands like Nirvana and musical big names like Judy Garland. Dobson would walk from Jive. After signing Island Def Jam records, Dobson got the chance to record the album she wanted to make, her self titled debut album in 2003. The record would be a success. Dobson has said in interviews that branding her appeared to be difficult as a black woman making traditionally white music in the pop rock sphere. The record would be a hit and immediately send Dobson into the spotlight. It would make it to number 26 on the charts and giving her a Juno nomination in her native Canada. Dobson hit the road to open for Justin Timberlake opening for him on his European tour. After the whirlwind of success that her debut received, Dobson wanted to make a darker, more rock influenced record. She went into the studio in 2004 to begin the process of recording the follow up album in 2004. The record would see writing sessions with Veruca Salt’s Nina Gordon, Holly Knight, and Pharrell. The album’s title is a reference to her mother’s former stripper alter-ego. While Dobson was crafting this darker, dirtier rock record, the record label was beginning to push back on the vibe of the album. The record was hoping for something more along the lines of the Avril Lavigne/Kelly Clarkson-esque pop rock that her debut contained. Dobson wouldn’t become aware of this push back until nearing the end of record’s production. They would forge on, releasing the single “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head” ahead of the albums planned release date September 2005. The video, which saw Dobson in a playful pop punk attire with a more raw raucous look, was a shock to the public. Dobson said that the powers at be thought she looked crazy when juxtaposed against her more polished look from her prior single “Don’t Go”. The single would fail to chart. The album would begin to see delays in release from the label. Following an attempt to revive the album with a release of the single “This Is My Life” in March 2006 would as see little success. The album would be shelved and Dobson dropped by Def Jam. She would release the album independently in June 2006, but the record wouldn’t make it to digital stores until 2012. This would be a very dark period in Dobson’s career, as the hard work she had put into the record lost her a record deal. It would be 4 years before Dobson would release her follow up to her debut. In that time, songs off Sunday Love would receive a new life through other artists like Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and Jordan Sparks. Dobson would say that hearing these would revive her creative spark and be catalyst to recording the album Joy. It is such a shame that the record flopped, as its sound is picture perfect for the rising “emo” rock sound that was coming up at the time. I honestly think race has a huge part to do with this. A white woman going from pop rock to a heavier rock inspired sound happens regularly without any push back. The “novelty” to Dobson’s image verses her sound would be her biggest hang up, and is the most infuriating part of the story. I remember loving the sound of “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head” and hunting down YouTube clips of the then hard to find record back in 2009. I want to give this little piece of Aughties pop rock jewelry the spotlight it deserves, albeit 15 years too late.
The first single we would hear off of the record would be the infectious “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head”. The song is a perfect blend of Dobson’s love for pop music and a heavy rock sound. The song definitely has a more raw edge to it compared to her prior album. Her sound is less Avril Lavigne and more Hole circa Celebrity Skin inspired. The song see Dobson confessing that, yeah she may have caught feeling for you, but doesn’t mean you should think its in the bag. She’s making the moves, not you. It’s coy, but in your face. I really don’t know why the song didn’t chart as I see myself revisiting the song over and over again. I love the wink and a middle finger tone she takes here. “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head” would receive a music video. As discussed above, the video is a simple live shot with the occasional cuts to Dobson in various locations (a bathroom or a cut up mattress) which adds to the overall pop punk sound of the song. The production value is a bit more toned down from her following album’s music videos. The single was released in July 2005. It failed to chart. Again, it’s a favorite of mine out of her catalog and a shame it don’t get the love I think it deserved. The song would receive a complete overhaul after being recorded for Jordan Sparks second album Battlefield. It would the third single off the record. The song is a much more toned down version, having an overall pop/R&B sound. Dobson has said she enjoys the version that Sparks would go on to release.
“This Is My Life” is the second and last single off of the record. The song would not receive a music video. The song begins with an airy acoustic feel, blending the acoustic guitars with synth flutes. This turns to a much heavier tone as the song changes over to electric guitars and heavy bass. The song is goes through the demise of a relationship. Dobson knowing she’s at fault for its end, but desperately wanting to salvage it some how. The chorus highlights Dobson sadness over her constant failures in love, “When I look in your eyes/ I know you understand/ That good things always/ Seem to slip right through my hands/ And everything but love/ Is just grains of sand /But with you this is my life”. The promo single version of this song, a radio mix known as the “Mainstream Version”, glosses the song up a bit with more of a pop sheen. I much prefer the album version. This song was originally one that I was unsure of on my first listen. After a second listen, I have to say it is one I keep repeating.
“As a Blonde” opens the album. The song is a classic pop punk song, very reminiscent of Blink 182. Dobson is tired of her past self, she’s ready for a change. This change to from her old self to this new dauntless version is catalyzed by coming back as a blonde. The lines, “Wanna I meet myself, as someone else, just to see what it feels like./ Take a walk, on the other side, cause you know that I just might./ Break some different hearts, touch my different parts./ I’m not gonna wait, to mess around with fate.”, show Dobson’s need to take a walk on the wild side. It’s a great introduction to her new sound and vision for herself. The song would be recorded by Selena Gomez for her 2009 album Kiss and Tell. Very little is changed lyrically and sonically, albeit the punk pop sound has definitely been Disneyfied.
“In the Kissah” is an upbeat pop-punk song. It’s definitely in the vein of the shiny kind of pop-punk that emo bands were making at the time. The song revolves around the end of Dobson’s toxic relationship with her ex-boyfriend. It goes through all the give and take (mostly take on his end) that they went through. The best part of the song is the chorus which breaks into a chant of “ooh!” as Dobson sings “Right in the Kissah”. A proverbial punch to the face of the man who used her.
“If I Was a Guy” is a dark electro-rock tune. There is a playfulness to the song that reminiscent to her debut record. Dobson takes on the dirty persona of rock boy that loves you and leaves you. She’d be the guy that “ would do lots of chicks/ Yeah I would be so horny/ And we’d think with our dicks…”. She’d be the one in control. She’d be powerful. She wouldn’t be the one left in the dust, brokenhearted, like she has some many time before. It’s a fun track.
“Get You Off” has a sound similar to The Donnas Up All Night record. It clearly has a hard rock inspiration with sprinkling of pop savvy. In the theme of bad relationships, Dobson is stuck between her lust for this guy and finally freeing herself of this toxic tie. She continually compares their relationship to an addiction, both in the way of its manic highs and desperate lows. The chorus breaks into her plea to break free, “I feel you stepping on my wings/ And I would anything/ To get you off/ To get you off of my back”. I love the hard rock edge this song has. It’s one that will get you moving for sure.
“Scar” is one of a few slow songs on the album. The track is blend of strings and electric guitars, which break into a more ballad-like hard rock sound. The tone of the song works with the tumultuous relationship she has with her boyfriend. Dobson sings on how an argument that she took too far caused for the end of their love. She just ended up causing yet another proverbial scar on him. It’s works well with the album and on second listen I quite enjoy the track.
“Miss Viscious” blends this pop electric sound with a heavy rock vibe. It’s pop punk in its most basic form. Dobson sings on the duality of her personality: the flirt and the maneater. In a way, she’s calling for her inner “Miss Viscious” to come out and control this situation she wants to be rid of. She chorus here is also infectious with it background “whoas” as she lashes out “Get away from me/ And leave me alone/ You’re driving me crazy/ And I want you to know/ You better leave me alone/ (I don’t like you, go home)”. Again, a harder hitter of the record.
“Man Meets Boy” is an acoustic track. Out of all the tracks on the record, this song most fits in with the sound of Dobson’s debut. It reminds me of Avril Lavigne’s “Nobody’s Home” in its soft pop rock sound. Dobson takes on her partners past traumas here, specifically his past history of of child abuse. She is here to let me know that she will see him through his trauma. It’s a nice track.
“Get Over Me” is another slow jam on the album. This one is more in line with the overall harder rock sound. Dobson knows she’s as much to blame for the end of this relationship as he has been. Here, she’s telling him this end is for the best for him as it is for her. The chorus pours out her sorrows for how bad she was for him, “So get over me ’cause everything I do to you/ Causes you pain, just walk away/ Anyone in love knows, you deserve better than me”. Out of all of the slow songs on the album, I think this up there as one of my favorite tracks on the album.
“Hole” takes it’s title from Courtney Love’s band of the same name. The song is a ode to the band. Dobson would bump into Love at a shopping trip and receive some advice from the former Hole front woman. The song definitely takes strong inspiration sonically from the sound of Hole’s 1998 glossy smash Celebrity Skin. Along the lines of lost love, Dobson knows the relationship she has here is on its last legs. She can fake a smile and go with the motions, but the foundation is crumbling. The song hits sonically like “Boys on the Radio” off of Hole’s Celebrity Skin with maybe just a slightly more ragged edge. It’s a summery breakup song.
“The Initiator” kicks off immediately with heavy guitars in overdrive. As stated above, this hard rocker gives The Donnas vibes from Turn 21/Spend the Night Era. Dobson’s sexuality is overt, but more subdued than The Donnas here. She’s here for a good time, not a long time. The title tells it all, she’s the initiator here. It’s a tongue and cheek number in leather pants and high tops. The song also gives a Joan Jett swagger in its delivery.
“Yeah Yeah Yeah” is a bratty pop punk song. Dobson has heard all your lines before. She knows the game and she’s over it. The chorus, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s all I can say to you/ Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m so over you/ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever/ Yeah, yeah, yeah, now I’m hurting you”, is her middle finger to the girl just trying to act coy to get in her pants. I can see this song doing very well on the radio.
“Be Strong” is the final slow song on the album. It’s a blend of synth strings, piano, organ, and pop rock. Dobson is being the shoulder to cry on this time. She’s been in this situation before, brokenhearted and wondering why. She empowering the woman here to hold her head up and walk tall through this, while also allowing her the space to break if she needs it. It’s a nice closer to the album.
In my opinion, this record should have been bigger than it was. It had the perfect sound for the era. Dobson also showed quite a bit of growth in her lyrical prowess for pop rock tunes. It’s infuriating that race would be the down fall of the records success. The label and radio didn’t understand how to brand her, which its obvious she’s a rock chick that should have been her avenue for promotion. Dobson would release her follow up to her 2003 debut in 2010 with Joy. I remember VH1 using “I Want You” as their You Oughta Know track for promotion. The album is much more an indie rock/pop record compared to her prior two. It would also prove to be successful for Dobson, with three singles making to the top twenty. Since this record, Dobson has been working on shaping her next project. She has released three singles between 2013 to 2018 teasing the project: “Legacy”, “In Better Hands”, and “Save Me From LA”. The record is slated for release sometime this year, as she’s been working on the project more in Nashville, TN during 2020 and 2021. She also worked with several other artist to orchestrate a charity single for COVID relief in Canada. The single, a cover of “Lean On Me”, would see numerous guest artists, including Justin Beiber and Avril Lavigne. In 2019, Dobson would marry southern rapper Yelawolf. The two had been engaged since 2013. Dobson is still kicking ass and taking names, and I look forward to her next release. My highlights on the album:
- “As A Blonde”
- “This Is My Life”
- “Don’t Let It Go To Your Head”
- “Hole”
- “Get You Off”
- “Get Over Me”
My overall rating: 7 out of 10 Blondes…
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