Dumb Struck

When West Palm Beach's Dumb Struck formed 11 months ago, the idea, according to vocalist Corey "Fox" Logan, was to be an Iron and Wine-style acoustic act. At the time, the only other band member was guitarist Chip Sengelaub. But things changed. The lineup grew, as did the songwriting. Now the group has five members and is entirely electric. And this six-song EP — the band's first — shows Dumb Struck in its transition period. Drummer (and former Upper Clash Trash member) Doug Buck provides a pounding backbeat for the tunes, but the guitars echo through without any distortion. The disc's opener, "Johnny," sets the tone of the EP — melodic, slightly melancholic, yet moderately upbeat. The song gets going with a quasi rockabilly beat before the chorus breaks it back down, making way for the prominent backing ohs that carry the weight of the main hook. The second song, "Fever Days," comes off as straight-up pop-punk, though it's more of the emo variety than the Queers/Screeching Weasel style. "Jack of All Trades" and "Burned to March" employ a mid-tempo, folk-rock rhythm, adding an alt-rock dimension to the mix. The percussion-free track "Gravity" closes the EP like a gentle goodbye. But its abrupt ending strikes like an alarm, waking you up to the likelihood that there's more to come. And according to the band, there is — but there'll be none of this acoustic-only stuff. As Logan explains, "Watching us move from acoustic indie, to electric almost pop-punk, almost alternative, whatever it is... well, it's been quite a ride."